Something Wicked This Way Comes
by Rebelrugger0307
Summary: A continuation of 'Two Worlds'. Ari and Eomer somehow return to Middle Earth and find themselves in the middle of another whirlwind adventure.
1. Chapter 1

Arianna remembered the day she and Eomer had met as if it was yesterday. She'd been fleeing a Rohirrim prison; he the third Marshall of the mark had aided her jail break. When she'd been forced to leave middle earth and return to her time, she thought she'd die from the heartbreak, but then miraculously he'd appeared. She was remembering the first night they'd shared together; mostly the incredible sex.

"_That's probably because we just had a repeat performance." _Arianna thought slowly as her reverie came to an end and she absently reached out to wrap her arm around him. When she didn't feel him in the bed beside her, she opened her eyes and looked around the room slowly. It was still dark, not yet three o'clock in the morning according to the clock, and the room was bathed in shadows. Ari rolled over and gazed at the rugged figure of the man standing at her window staring blankly at the world outside. She wrapped the sheet around her naked body and went to stand beside him.

"Erik?" He'd taken the name Erik to blend better with her world. Eomer insisted she call him Erik even when alone to prevent a slip up in public. She looked up into his wonderful green gold eyes and saw how dark and troubled they were. "What is it? What's troubling you?"

"Merely dreams…nothing you should be concerned with." He said finally taking his gaze from the houses outside and looking down at her. "Nothing you should be concerned with….the dreams of a warrior who saw far too much."

"It's Middle Earth isn't it." Ari said as he wrapped her in his arms. It wasn't a question.

"Have you been crawling about in my head? What would make you say such a thing?"

"It is Middle Earth isn't it?"

"Aye."

"It calls to you, Eomer." She snuggled closer to him. "Just as it calls to me."

They'd taken to living together a few months after their return and had enjoyed every moment of it. Though they were engaged, they'd agreed not to get married until things were more stable for them. Erik was trying to buy a bit of land and get a stable and riding school established. Ari was helping in that endeavor. Her mother, who had been thrilled with the idea of engagement, was less than thrilled at the delays in the wedding.

"Would you two just elope already? I'd dearly like to be able to call Erik my son in law, but can't. I might as well, you two live together already."

A few days later Ari had a horrible nightmare. She and Eomer had been riding in a beautiful field, the blue sky above them was clear and the wind played gently with her hair. Eomer's horse spurred past her and headed straight for the lip of a deep canyon. Ari sat up and gasped for breath. Erik was still lying beside her completely unaware of what had scared her so. The next morning at breakfast Ari and Erik moved around their apartment in silence. Ari flung herself over the back of the big couch and landed in Erik's lap.

"Let's go visit Mom and Dad." She said wrapping her arms around his neck. "Let's go get the horses and go ride out on the ranch."

"And listen to your mother berate you on how we should be married already and be producing grand-children?"

"I can survive it. I just have this driving need to get out of the city. Besides, she's not evil incarnate. We battled Sauron and won, I'm thinking we can hold our own against my Mother. She's not as bad as him."

"You're right she's not as bad as him…..she's worse!" Ari pinched Eomer's side as she got up and stalked away. Eomer laughed. "Alright, we'll go! I too would like to leave the city."

It took them a week to prepare for the trip to the ranch in Oklahoma and the two of them leapt from the truck when they had pulled into the driveway. They took their horses straight from the trailer and brought them out to the barn with the rest of the Carver horses.

"I thought I'd heard the truck pull in." Ari's father said as he came into the barn. He hugged his daughter and shook hands with Eomer. "Nice trip?"

"It was alright." Ari answered as they made their way up to the house. "We're starved though."

"Well, you know your mother; she's cooking for an army. I think she hoped you'd have a little'un in toe."

"Is she ever going to stop harping on us about that?" Ari asked as they stepped up onto the porch?"

"Not until she has that baby in her arms to spoil and you know it."

Ari and Eomer stared at the ceiling above the bed in Ari's old bedroom. Something had brought them both out of their slumber and it wasn't the first night it had happened. They'd been at her parent's home for four days and this was the third time they'd been awakened. Eomer's voice broke the silence of the room.

"A man on a dark brown horse wearing a cloak of gray wool riding across the plains…"

"Dark trees and mountains beyond…he rides into the woods and disappears." Ari continued.

They faced one another in bed and almost in unison said "The horn of Gondor calls."

"What do you think it means?" Ari asked. "Why are both of us having the same dream?"

"I don't know…I do not understand it. We are no longer a part of that world."

"We'll always be a part of that world…maybe that's the problem."

The next day the two of them went out on a long ride. Ari's mother had given them the task of inspecting the far south fences.

"Whitmore's cattle keep busting through. Let me know if there are any gaps in the fence and we'll get out there in the truck to repair it." She gave Ari a sack lunch and sent her and Eomer on their way. It was approaching noon when they found themselves riding beside the old creek bed on the south side of the ranch. Ari spurred her horse on goading Eomer into a race. She turned her horse away from the uneven ground of the creek bank towards the rolling plains of the interior, Eomer's horse hot on her heels. He over took her and after turning his horse around a low bit of brush and took their race back towards the creek and raced along the high ridge. The land leveled out to their left and the creek cut a deeper channel, creating more of a canyon. Eomer and Ari were neck and neck when something caught Eomer's attention and he pulled his horse up. Ari stopped her horse as well and brought it back to where Eomer was looking.

"Did you see something near those trees?"

"No. Did you?"

"I must have been mistaken." They took it slightly slower, giving their horses time to breath, and continued on down the line to the top of the ridge of the creek. That's when Ari saw what Eomer had seen. A troop of about thirty men, all clad in green cloaks were riding at a good pace on the other side of the canyon. They disappeared in a low rise. Ari spurred her horse higher up the ridge on their side of the creek to get a better view. The emerald green standard bore the white horse of Rohan as well as something baring a strong resemblance to the horn of Gondor. She could hear the hooves of Eomer's horse behind her tearing up the earth. She could hear the sound of the hooves of the other riders as well and she could hear the gentle snap of the standard as she listened to the wind. Eomer's horse broke past hers and headed straight for the edge of the canyon, Ari's following suit without her bidding it.

She was experiencing De ja vu. This was the same field she and Eomer had ridden through in her dream. She shouted out to him as the horse he was riding leapt into the air. Hers followed suit and for a moment Ari lost all track of what was going on around her. There was a bright flash of green and silver light and an intense cold feeling enveloped Ari part way through the jump. It felt as if a hook had stabbed through her and the horse and she felt the beast beneath her suddenly turn in the air.

Ari opened her eyes slowly and looked around. First she moved just her eyes and then slowly turned her head from side to side. She wiggled her fingers and toes slowly and only then did she risk trying to sit up. Ari looked around the tent she found herself in and wondered if one of the Whitmore men had found her and decided it best not to move her. She stepped out of the tent and looked onto a scene she never thought she'd see again.


	2. Return to Rohan

She was standing in the camp of the Rohirrim. Fires dotted the land before her and off to her right there was a fire with three men sitting around it.

"Ari!" Eomer was first up from the fire and he rushed to her side. "Are you alright? How do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Hold it there sailor….I'm fine…I think." She rubbed her elbow where it pained her a bit. The same elbow she'd injured on the palinor field two years ago when fighting for middle earth. "Other than the ringing in my ears I'm fine….what the hell happened?"

"I don't know what happened my self. Our horses made a bolt for the canyon and we were suddenly here. My horse landed fine, yours turned part way through the jump and threw you."

"Is she alright?" Ari was riding a horse that her mother had given her for her birthday the year before; it was a very precious thing to her.

"Yes, she's fine." Eomer escorted Ari to the fire. "Do you recognize anyone here?" Ari looked across the fire and at the men around her. One in particular, older than the rest, smiled up at her.

"Oh my god…..Maleth?" The man laughed.

"Aye mistress Arianna. How is it you always manage to find me when you journey to Middle Earth?"

"Middle Earth?"

"I don't understand it either but we're back Ari." Eomer said as Ari shook her head and sat down. "Somehow in the jump we managed to come here."

"This is crazy." Ari looked up at Eomer. "But maybe not… could explain why we were having dreams…."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Why were we brought back though?"

"I do not understand it either m'lady." Maleth answered. "But I find it amazing that you and Lord Eomer have aged not a day in twenty years."

"Twenty years?" Ari asked.

"But we've been gone barely two." Eomer answered. "That can not be possible."

"Twenty years have passed since the fall of Sauron, m'lord." Maleth said firmly. "You and Lady Ari disappeared just after the coronation of the King."

"This makes my head hurt." Ari said dropping her head in her hands. "It would explain why he looks so bad." Ari looked up at Maleth through the curtain of hair that dropped in her face. "No offense."

"None taken." Maleth answered. "We will continue this in the morning." He said quickly as he rose. "The Lady Eowyn will be delighted to see you."

"Eowyn?" Eomer asked.

"Aye m'lord." Maleth laughed. "Two or Twenty years, you can not tell me that you do not remember your fair sister."

Ari and Eomer were escorted over the rolling hills and up to the great city of Rohan.

"Is it bigger?" Eomer asked Maleth as the trotted up the wide road into the city.

"Aye, the city has grown some in the past few years. More people come to the city to trade, and leave again when they are finished. Rohan is quite the trading capital now."

They entered the yard and looked around at the astonished stares they received. Then they were escorted up the stairs by Maleth and into the Golden Hall.

"I shall take your grievance into consideration and will return my verdict to you on the morrow."

"Thank you My Lord." The peasant bowed his way away from the man sitting on the throne of Rohan, leaving the room almost completely empty. The woman beside him looked up at the door as the three figures walked through it.

"What is the meaning of this?" Eowyn, Queen of Rohan stood from her throne and glared at Maleth as he brought the two people forward. "Who are these people and why have you brought them here? WE are receiving no more grievances this day."

"My Queen." Maleth knelt quickly in the middle of the room as the heavy door slammed shut behind him and the bright light disappeared from Ari's and Eomer's backs. "I bring you two visitors, who I believed you would want to see with the greatest of urgency." Eowyn's face paled slightly and she dropped the book she'd held in her hand.

"No…it can't be…." She slowly came down the steps and stood before the kneeling figures of Eomer and Ari. "Eomer?" He raised his head and smiled his wonderful happy smile at his sister.

"Sister, or should I address you as Queen now?"

"Eomer!" She pulled him to his feet and wrapped her arms around his neck laughing. "How is it you have come back to us looking no older than when you left? This is truly magic!"

"I do not understand it myself." He laughed back as he set her down and stepped back. "Let me look at you….my you look lovely."

"I'm old." She said tucking a white gold strand of hair behind her ear. Ari was smiling up at them. She was indeed the same Eowyn she remembered fighting beside; the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes betrayed a life of smiling and happiness. "You will put me to shame in my court."

"I will not, but Ari may." Eowyn turned so quickly Ari was forced to laugh.

"No…she too has not aged a day!" Ari bowed her head to the Queen of Rohan and waited. She felt Eowyn's weathered hand grasp her chin and was forced to look into the watery blue eyes of her friend. "Oh it is you!" Ari stood and was pulled into a forceful embrace by the Queen. "You must tell me how you've done it!"

"Nice to see you too!" Ari said.

"You must be starving!" Eowyn said quickly. "Food and Drink for our guests! Prepare a room for them!" She looked at Ari, a mischievous glow in her eyes. "Or should a tell them to prepare two?"

"One will do fine?"

"You two are married then?"

"As good as…"

"Tell me later…" Eowyn pulled Ari and Eomer to the throne where they bowed to the King of Rohan. "I'd like you to meet my husband, King Faramir, of Gondor."

"Of Rohan, my dear….I should think that after twenty years I deserve that title."

"Of course dear." She kissed his cheek and smiled at her brother and dearest friend. "How is it you've come back?"

"We're not sure ourselves." Eomer said leaning up on the step. "It was not in our control…it just happened."

"And your looks having not changed in twenty years? What sort of witchcraft is that?" Faramir asked. "Or have you been bathing in magic waters?"

"We went back to my time…my world." Ari said. "There, it's only been two years since we left Middle Earth…the only thing I can think of to explain it is that time moves differently here." She glanced at Eomer who nodded slowly. "I mean, when I was sent back, I arrived hours before I disappeared."

"I see." Eowyn took her seat and listened as Eomer and Ari related all that had happened in the two years they'd been gone.

"But you aren't married yet…"

"No, we want to be financially sound before we marry." Eomer said taking Ari's hand in his. "Although now that we're here…"

"My mom would have a conniption fit if we got married here and she wasn't." Ari said emphatically. "She'd murder me in my sleep." Eomer laughed.

"Mother! Mother!" A little girl of ten with chestnut hair came running around the corner chased by two older boys, aged fourteen and twelve. "They won't stop chasing me!" The little girl leapt past Eomer and Ari and into Eowyn's arms.

"Theodred! Eoromir! How many times must I tell you not to chase your sister?" Eowyn admonished. The two boys stopped in their tracks and stood stiffly in the middle of the great hall. "Now, come forward and meet your uncle." She said harshly.

"Our uncles our dead." The older of the two said. He had dark hair and dark brown eyes; Ari could see a lot of his father in him.

"Nay, your Unlce Eomer has returned." Eowyn said, "Come along." The two boys strode forward and looked at Eomer.

"Hello sir." The older boy bowed to Eomer. "I'm Theodred, son of Faramir and named for my mother's cousin who died valiantly in the dark wars."

"Hello."

"I'm Eoromir, son of Faramir and named for my Uncles." The younger boy said. He had the coloring of his mother, blonde hair, blue eyes and pale complexion.

"I am Eomer, Sister Son of Théoden, King of Rohan, may his soul forever rest in peace Brother to Eowyn, Queen of Rohan." Ari got chills as Eomer's voice boomed out in the great hall. The two boys turned to Ari expectantly.

"I'm Ari, Arianna Carver….he's with me." She said nodding her head at Eomer.

"She's almost your Aunt." Eowyn interjected making Ari smile even broader. The two boys bowed to Ari and stepped back waiting orders from their parents. "Now, I want you to take your sister back to her room and tell the maids to get her ready for banquet this evening. We shall have a feast to welcome back Eomer and Ari to Rohan."

"We are to attend?" The little girl asked.

"Yes, if you introduce yourself to your Uncle." The little girl leapt from Eowyn's lap and curtsied politely in front of Ari and Eomer. "I'm Arianelle. I'm named for my mothers' friend and the great lady of the woods." The little girl leapt up and followed her brothers out of the great hall.

"We call her Ari around the palace….I think we'll have to curtail that for now." 'Wyn said with a smile at Ari's astonished expression.

"You named her after me?"

"Of course…."Eowyn laughed as she watched the stunned expression on ARi's face. "We must get you and my brother out of those strange clothes and into something more suitable for the evening!" Eowyn rose from her throne and grasped Ari's arm dragging her out of the golden hall and to a chamber that was all to familiar to her.

"Ah, my old room….home sweet home, eh?"

"Yes, I thought you'd be more comfortable here…."

"It's fine 'Wyn. Don't worry."

The night was incredibly festive. Ari and Eomer out drank every man in the hall and Ari re-established her reign as ale chugging champion of Rohan. Eomer spoke with the men of his old unit and laughed long and hard over some of the stories. Ari sat with the children and listened as Arianelle told stories and laughed. Gradually the children fell asleep on the stairs at the feet of their parents' thrones. Ari watched as a nurse carried ARianelle away.

"She's a wonderful girl Eowyn. You should be proud."

"I am."

"She's a magnificent story teller...my mother's people had a lot of respect for story tellers..." She looked at Eowyn. "She's talented..."

"Yes...but sometimes it gets her in trouble." Eowyn laughed as she took a sip of wine. "She's always telling tales on her brothers." Eowyn laughed. "But you don't want to listen to stories of the children...go! Make merry! I'm so glad you are returned to fair Rohan."

Arianna staggered to her room sometime after Eowyn and Faramir retired.

The next morning she awoke with a killer headache and walked out to the great hall where several people still dozed. Eomer and Faramir sat at the head of the hall picking over their breakfasts and talking about something seemingly serious.

"What's happenin' hot stuff?"

"Good Morning Arianna." Eomer said. "How do you feel?"

"Like a Mack truck ran over my head." She sat across from him and grabbed a roll and ate it slowly.

"What is a Mack truck?" Faramir asked slowly.

"Long story." Ari and Eomer answered in unison, a smile tracing Eomer's lips as they did so.

"So why are we back? This makes little sense." Ari said as she and Eomer took a stroll around the flourishing city. "I mean, last time…well, last time there was evil and I was here apparently to find you."

"Yes….and why the big time change?"

"Who knows?" Sentinels on the wall alerted the city to a rider coming. Everyone moved to see who the lone rider was and crowded to the courtyard below the great house in the golden city. His green cloak covered his face at first and he only lowered it when he dismounted.

The man rushed up the stairs and stopped when he was blocked by the guards of the golden hall.

"I am Horace, messenger of Aragorn, King of Gondor and the united Realms of Middle Earth, let me pass!" Ari and Eomer exchanged looks and moved hurriedly up the stairs and followed the man to the hall where they found the door slamming shut.

"Great, fantastic, now how are we supposed to know what's going on?" Ari said irritated, kicking at a large pillar.

"We wait."

"Oh, because I'm just so good at that!" Ari and Eomer waited until the doors opened again and the man who had introduced himself as Horace exited the room baring a leather satchel marked with the royal ensigns of Rohan. "That can't be a good sign."

Eomer and Ari went into the golden hall to find Faromir issuing a flurry of orders.

"Ah, Eomer, Ari…..it would seem there is trouble in Gondor. I am being called their. I think that just perhaps you were meant to give company….Eomer to me and Ari to Eowyn."

"Ari will be going with you; dear….she'll not be kept here when there's adventure to be had in Gondor." Eowyn said rising from her seat.

"Well….it's just that…..damn it 'Wyn….do you have to make this a catch 22?"

"I need no company…I have the children to keep my busy. Ari and Eomer will accompany you to the white city."

Within a day, Ari and Eomer found themselves in the middle of a sizeable regiment of horse on their way to Gondor.

"I remember this ride."

"You ought to." Eomer grinned. "It's the way back that will be unfamiliar to you." She stuck her tongue out at him.

It took three days to get to Gondor at the steady, but leisurely pace Faramir set for them. When they crested the ridge over the Palinor fields, Ari and Eomer gasped. The city had extended out into the field, creating an additional layer to the great city. Roads converged at the great gate, golden grain waving gently in the soft breezes at the edges. The city of Osgiliath had been rebuilt and at it's docks ships crowded to the wharfs unloading wares and carrying passengers and goods to the harbors and seas below.

"Incredible…." Eomer said softly. "Absolutely incredible." People in the fields stood and watched as the horsemen thundered down the road, green pennants flying merrily at their standards. It was a long ride to the top of the Citadel, but they were greeted the entire way by people staring out from houses and shop fronts.

"I remember the people being a bit friendlier last time." Ari said.

"Aye…" They had reached the top of the city and entered the courtyard of the kings on foot. The white tree, which had only just been coming back to bloom when Aragorn took the throne was now in full bloom. Its bark, smooth and white, seemed to glow in the early afternoon sun, its emerald green leaves rustled softly in the breezes that constantly played at the top of the city. They entered the great hall and looked up to see Aragorn, now weathered and old, look up from his advisor.

"Faramir, King! It is good to see you!" He said. His voice had changed little; it was still strong and held a hidden happiness.

"And it does my eyes well to see you again as well, my king Aragorn." Faramir bowed low and the rest of the gathering followed suit. Aragorn sat back down and looked hard at the king standing before him.

"I'm thankful for your speedy response to my….Eomer?" The high king again rose from his seat and came towards the men standing before him. "How can this be possible?"

"It is a long story, my King…one that Ari and I will gladly tell when you have finished business with Faramir." Eomer said standing. Ari was amazed at how quickly he'd fallen back into the mannerisms of court and life as a Rohirrim Marshall. She let her eyes roll over his muscular form, clad once again in the clothes of the Riddermark. The brown leather jerkin melded to his chest, the green breeches he wore accented his legs and the tall brown riding boots and the long sword slung low on his hips completed the ensemble of the hardened warrior. It was all Ari could do to keep from jumping him.

"Arianna is here as well?" Aragorn turned and looked down at Ari.

"Surprise!" Ari said with the cheesiest grin she could muster.

"Surprise indeed….you will have to tell me how you did it." He returned his attention back to Faramir. "Would you come to my private council chambers? I will have drink brought up for you. Erestil, go summon the others to my chambers."

"As you wish, my lord." The advisor hurriedly left the room as Faramir followed Aragorn.

"You two as well…." Aragorn called over his shoulder when he realized that Eomer and Ari were still standing in the middle of the room.

"Well, I think we're finally going to figure out what's going on."

"I think so too."


	3. What is your Quest?

Ari and Eomer sat at opposite sides of the big council table. Two dwarves entered the room as well as several other men. There were no elves….they'd all left for the gray havens long ago.

"Now Aragorn, you'd do well to tell this old dwarf what in blazes is going on before I depart this earth." The older of the two dwarfs said in a thin raspy voice. His head was covered by a rust colored hood under which several strands of sparse silver gray hair peeked out. The bottom half of his face was covered in more hair, a thick silver gray mat of it, which was braided and twisted and slung over his left shoulder. The dwarf that sat next to him had dark brown hair; it was the color of dirt in a field after it had just been tilled and rained on, Ari thought. He had hard brown eyes that took in everyone at the table all at once.

"Yes, Gimli, I will get straight to it, you have nothing to worry about." Ari's head snapped over to take in the old dwarf again. There was no way that that old dwarf could POSSIBLY be the Gimli she had drunk with. "But first I feel I must introduce everyone at the table."

"These are the captains of Gondor, Haberdon, Gishmeil, Rohbek and Carnak." Each of the men nodded in turn. "From Rohan, King Faramir, and…I'm assuming they're representing Rohan, Lady Arianna and Lord Eomer." Gimli, who had been puffing on a pipe while squinting deep into the eyes of each of those introduced, coughed and sputtered on his pipe smoke. The younger dwarf tapped him on the back furiously.

"Blast it, I'm not a bellows pump, ye need not thump me to death boy!" Gimli wheezed.

"Sorry Uncle."

"Not Ari and Eomer…."

"It's us Gimli." Ari said softly winking at the old dwarf. "You and me will have to have an ale and talk about old times later."

"Aye, that's my girl."

"And this is Master GImli, and his nephew, Gandron of the Dragon mines, isn't it?." The young dwarf nodded.

"Yes King."

"Well, now that the formalities are taken care of, I will tell you why I have asked you here." Aragorn pushed his chair in and stood behind it, taking a firm hold on the back of it. "Most of you know my son, Eldarion. For those of you that don't, he is an adventuresome boy."

"Not wholly unlike his father." Faramir added.

"Unfortunately Faramir is correct. The boy is indeed adventuresome and a trying little spirit for both his mother and I." Aragorn sighed. "Two weeks ago Eldarion was not in his room. We scoured the city and found no sign of him. We believed that he had gone on one of his adventures…retracing the paths of the elves, the path of the ring, somewhere….however, he has not returned and it makes me believe that he has fallen pray to great danger."

"How old is he?" Ari asked.

"He will reach his twentieth year in three months time." Aragorn's brow was furrowed. "He has always been a trial for Arwen and myself….but he has never been out this long and not sent word back to us. I fear for him."

"What can we do Aragorn?" Faramir asked. As a father, he, better than all others at the table, understood Aragron's worry. If Theodred ever disappeared like that Faramir knew he'd worry sick until his eldest son was home safe in his bed. Then he'd tan the boys hide and use it for his next saddle.

"I ask that you send anyone you can spare out into the wilds to look for any sign of him, and, should you find him, entreat him to return home. Gimli, I ask you to entreat the Dwarf lords to use the network through you mines to contact one another and relay information to me, if it is at all possible."

"It will be done….I'll leave no stone unturned, no cave un-searched until my Godson is safe in these walls."

"We have already scoured from here south to the cities of the sea, but have not found him. Several small parties have ventured into the mountains, but none have returned….we fear snows may have them blocked into winter camps and outposts." The Captain Haberdon said. "We have not enough men to scour the rest of middle earth for his highness."

"I can spare a unit of men, I'll have them split up and search Rohan and towards the Misty Mountains." Faramir said. "I'll put Ari and Eomer in charge of it."

"I thank you my friends. Now onto other business…."

"So, now we know why we were brought back." Ari said as she and Eomer strolled through some of the upper levels of the city. "We're here on a man hunt."

"It would seem so. It doesn't seem right, for the boy to merely runaway….there is something foul behind this."

"Is that what that feeling is?" Ari asked stopping on one of the battlements and looking out onto the Palinor field. "Do you feel it?"

"Aye….it makes me uneasy." Eomer squinted into the setting sun as if he could use it to see the entire world. "I don't like it."

"Well, at least we'll get to ride around middle earth…..and there are no battles so we don't have to worry much about getting killed."

"True." Eomer wrapped his arms around Ari and stroked her left arm.

"Does it still pain you?"

"Not often…..It hurt a little when we got back here…but it's stopped. Maybe I should show Aragorn his handy work?"

"Perhaps." Ari closed her eyes and leaned back into Eomer's strong arms as he placed a series of gentle kisses on her neck.

"You better not leave any monkey bites….and don't start something you can't finish." She sighed heavily. She felt him laugh as he rested his chin against her shoulder.

"Fine, then let us prepare for dinner." She moaned discontentedly and stalked off to prepare for supper.

"…and then they made me their chief." Everyone at the long table was laughing riotously at Ari's fabricated story of the return to her world.

"Mistress Ari, you are indeed a story teller, and a gifted one at that."

"I do what I can." She said as she ate more of the delicious food.

"Now really, how did you manage coming back here?" Aragorn asked as he wiped a tear from his eye. "Or perhaps I should have Eomer tell it so that we all have a moments rest before you entertain us again."

"Nah, I can behave myself…besides, he's still eating." Ari looked down to where Eomer was indeed still eating. "You'd think that no one feeds him at home…" Ari related the story of how they came to be back and how she believed time moved on different planes in their two worlds. "It's the only thing we can conclude that explains how only two years have passed for us and more than twenty have passed here."

"It is an intriguing tale….." Gimli said, eyes twinkling merrily at her. He'd eaten barely anything but was drinking merrily and smoking like a chimney. A series of rings wreathed his head and the sweet smell of the weed in his pipe made Ari feel as if this were her true home.

After their meal was complete Ari, Arwen and Eillera, Arwen and Aragorn's daughter left the men to smoke and went on a turn around the upper courtyard.

"Are you and Lord Eomer wed?" Arwen asked.

"No, not yet. We aren't financially stable enough to get married yet. We're both finishing school and…well, we just haven't done it yet."

"Your parents approve of this?"

"Not entirely, my mom is happy I found someone…and we're engaged to be married, she just wishes we would get on and actually do it so we can start making her some grandbabies to spoil."

"I see." Arwen laughed. "As opposed as my ada was to my marrying Aragorn, he so desperately wanted us to have a child before he left for the western worlds."

"I only met your father once." Ari laughed. "But I just can't see him with kids."

"He was quite doting on Eldarion. Ada left when he was only six." They stopped and looked out onto the twinkling lights of the city. "I miss him so."

"Lord Elrond?"

"My son…." Ari heard Arwen sniffle once and knew the woman was crying. "Excuse me…" Arwen moved briskly into the shadows and away from Ari and Eileera.

"Mother worries for him so." Eileera spoke. She had a clear beautiful voice, like that of water rushing over the smooth river rocks of a stream. "We all do."

"Do you have any idea where he might have headed to?" Ari could barely see the girl shake her head in the darkness, her lustrous black hair catching the light from the torches of the city.

"He used to confide in me, but once he realized I was telling father where he went, he stopped telling me." The girl grasped her arms as a cool breeze whisked across the top of the city picking up her thin dress and whipping it around her legs.

"You'd best get inside…..the night's getting chill. Take your mother in and make sure she settles down."

"Will you find him?" Eileera asked before leaving.

"I'm gonna do my best."

Ari sat up in the high tower and watched the moon ply its way across the blue velvet sky. She heard boots fall on the stairs as someone climbed up the tower. She was not surprised to see Eomer come through the tower door.

"How did I know you'd be up here?" He asked as he came and leaned on the other side of the window from her.

"You've always known where to find me." She leaned over and kissed him. "Another whirl wind adventure for us." She sighed and scooted into his arms. They watched the moon for some time before retiring to their room.

"We will begin searching immediately my King." Eomer announced the next morning. "Fear not, the prince will return to the white city."

"I know that you will not take your quest lightly." Aragorn rode out with them and waved as the Rohirrim cavalry thundered out of the city and back up the road towards Rohan.

Ari barely saw anything of Eomer in the next few days as he was putting a patrol of men together and securing supplies for the trip. Ari couldn't stand it, the two of them hadn't slept together since before they'd gone to the ranch….more than three weeks before. Ari picked at her dinner and stared hungrily at Eomer.

"Is there something wrong with the food Ari?" Eowyn asked. Eomer looked up at Ari. She never broke her stare from the man across from her.

"Not a thing…just not that hungry I guess."

"Not for food anyway." Eowyn whispered just loud enough for her to hear. Ari pulled her silver eyes from Eomer for a moment and shrugged with an evil grin upon her lips.

"Are you feeling alright Arianna?' Eomer asked coming into her room that night. She stood at the large mirror in her room brushing out her long black hair. She had long since gotten rid of the rebellious purple streaks and returned to her natural raven black.

"I 'feel' fine." She said turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can feel better though." Eomer's hands wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Is that so?"

"Mm-hmmm….." She raised up and kissed him slowly, taking her time in sliding her tongue past his lips and slipping it over his tongue. His hands traveled up her back and held her to the kiss she'd initiated. She'd been horny before…she was on fire now; his hands brushed all the right places and stoked the fires she felt within her. "Mmmm….if you don't make love to me right now, I'll never forgive you."

"Is that so?" Eomer guided her back and they fell onto the big bed together.

"Yes! Now quit talking and kiss me!" Eomer held his body over hers and looked down into her gray eyes.

"And what if I said no?" He looked down at her as she squirmed beneath him. "What if I rolled over to my side of the bed and fell deep asleep and ignored all your attempts at seduction?"

"You wouldn't dare?" Ari made a move to sit up but suddenly found Eomer's weight shifted, his knee between her legs and his face close to hers and a hand upon her shoulder preventing further movement.

"You're right, I could never deny you anything…." His lips brushed across her cheek, the tip of her nose and finally her lips. His hand moved from her shoulder to brush lightly across her breast causing first one nipple, then the other to harden. She arched her back into his caress. He brought his lips across her chin and back towards her ear, then trailed his kisses further across her neck and across the neckline of her gown. She moaned and writhed beneath him.

She thought back to the first kissed they'd shared…how strong and passionate and powerful it was. How she'd felt dizzy. She thought to the moment in the high tower of the city of Gondor where he first verbally professed his love to her and of the kiss they shared there…and then of the incredible sex they'd had in his room afterwards. How urgent and full of fire he'd been. This was so incredibly different. He was taking his time….torturing her with her own desire.

She closed her eyes as she felt him finally enter her. Stars burst behind her eyelids with every stroke, slowly she brought her eyes to meet his, green gold and silver gray melded into one and she had the first of a series of mind shattering orgasms beneath him, his lips crashing down on hers to prevent her passionate cries from waking the entire house.

The next morning found the two of them curled together in bed beneath one of the heavy fur coverlets. They were slow to rise as they'd made love several times in the night…..once just as the sun had been rising over the distant horizon and had been turning the sky from black to soft gray.

Eomer was first to rise and found the room bathed in morning light. He looked down at Ari as she slept against his chest and stroked her arm lightly. He trailed his feather light touch across her shoulder and down her spine and watched happily as she shuddered. Slowly he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Wake up Arianna…..if we are to leave tomorrow we must prepare today."

"Mmmm…..do we have to leave?"

"Yes of course we do…we promised the King that we'd find his son, or did you forget that?"

"Mmm…that's right…." She giggled. "I think I may have forgotten some things after that third orgasm." She nibbled at her bottom lip mischievously while looking up at him through half lidded eyes. He tickled her sides lightly and rolled her onto her back looking down at her.

"You woman, are insatiable!" She kissed him and then sat up looking around for her clothes.  
"Yes, and as you said, we had better get ready or we'll never begin this man hunt."

_A/N: Please review…if no one is reading this, I won't bother posting the rest of it._


	4. Memories

The morning they left Edoras a harsh cold wind blew across the plains. Eowyn, Faramir and the children stood atop the steps of the golden hall and looked down onto the small troop of men gathered below.

"Go, seek out young Eldarion and bring him home!" Faramir said after giving a brief blessing to the knights before him. The group of men consisted largely of the troop of men who had been present when Ari and Eomer had returned to Middle Earth as well as some older men who had ridden under Eomer's command when he'd been third Marshall of the mark. They'd ridden out of Edoras into the harsh late winter winds and into the spring sunshine to the sound of cheering, the hooves of their horses making the cold frozen ground shudder.

That had been two weeks ago, when their armor had been newly polished and shined, their cloaks clean and new, their spirits high.

Two weeks had brought them from one end of the Rohirrim country side to the other. They stopped over a few nights at the fortress of Helm's deep and used the fortifications as a base of operations for their search. When snow fell they were blocked in for several days until the storm abated and they could brave travel.

Ari strolled through the great hall and looked at the paintings of the fight at Helms deep in which she'd held a brief role. She remembered being terrified in that first battle and of the hideous orcs. She paused before a mural depicting the outcast Cavalry returning with Gandalf the White and riding down the steep escarpment taking the Orcs by surprise with the Dawn.

"That day, I knew you had the heart of a shield maiden of Rohan." Ari turned to find Eomer standing behind her.

"Did you?" He nodded and placed an arm around her shoulder pulling her closer to him. "That day was such a blur for me..."

"You fought valiantly. Do you remember entering the fortress after?" Ari laughed.

"The look on Eowyn's face was classic…..she dressed me and I went out and stood on what had been the wall."

"You looked so beautiful then…"

"And I don't now?" Ari pushed away and hit him playfully.

"Well, you have to remember, the first time I saw you, you were filthy from sitting in jail and trying to tunnel your way out." He said raising his hands in defense. "And you also have to remember that after that you were wearing clothing a size too large for you."

"That's true…" They stepped out into the snow and looked at the rebuilt wall of Helm's Deep. The fortress had been great in King Theoden's time, but had been rebuilt and made better under the reign of Faramir.

"The guards said that sometimes the royal family spends summers here. I can see Eowyn everywhere in this place…the color, the tapestries…"

"I see Faramir in the construction….it looks so much like Gondor."

It took three days for the storm to let up and when it did, the riders went out once again into the wilds of Rohan.

In leaving the mountains near the Westfold they left the snow behind but encountered thick mud and heavy rains which slowed their progress. The trek across the gap of Rohan which would take less than a day in better circumstances took them a day and a half of hard work. They crested the hill above Isengard to see many people working within the rebuilt walls of the Wizard fortress. They approached cautiously but were welcomed in by the elderly gate keeper. They were given rations and water and were allowed to clean themselves and rest their horses. The head of the order explained to Eomer that they were trying to make a university of the fortress at Isengard, but still had much work to do.

"We few wizards left in this part of the world understand that the teachings of Gandalf the White must be spread to the common man. He spent many hours with young Eldarion before the ships set sail. I tutored the boy some later. Tell me, how is Eldarion….if you come from ROhan, you must have heard of the boy?"

"That is why we are out here….we are searching for Eldarion as he has been missing for many weeks."

"Oh dear…." The old man sat heavily in the deeply carved chair. "That is a worry….the queen can't be taking this well at all."

"She isn't." Ari answered. "I'm assuming you haven't seen him then."

"No…but there are things moving in the mountains…..several of the order have felt it. If Eldarion is missing, then it could be the root of it. Something evil is moving across the land."

The troop didn't stay over at Isengard long. The threat of evil moving again in Middle Earth was enough of a catalyst to spur the men to fast action. They rode into canyons long and deep that were cut by centuries of rain and wind. They rode up into the mountains and looked out onto the plains below. At night they lit fires and talked.

Ari and Eomer were leading the men along the high rim of a canyon when suddenly Maleth came galloping up beside them.

"Pardon me, my lord…my lady, do you realize where we are?"

"No, should I?" Eomer answered.

"You probably shouldn't, but the Lady Arianna ought to." He said with a slight grin.

"I should?" Arianna stopped briefly and took in her surroundings. There was a low hill to their left and the steep embankment to the right. "It does seem familiar….but I can't seem to place it…."

"It is the place where I first met you."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ari dismounted and went to the edge.

"Be careful Ari…" Eomer said as he stepped his horse away from the edge. Ari had realized long ago that Eomer didn't like looking over edges. He'd barrel across the plains at reckless speeds on his horse, or weave in and out of traffic on his motor bike, but he wanted nothing to do with looking over the edge of a canyon or the side of a bridge. Ari didn't mind it at all.

"You worry too much Eomer. I just want to see if I can see my…Hey! I think that's my old bike!"

"What?" Ari sat down on the ledge and swung her legs over the ledge. "What are you…? Ari get back up here!"

"Just wait a minute. Tell the men to rest their horses and take a break, I'll be right up." Without second though Ari started the climb down the slick embankment, which at first wasn't too difficult to traverse but soon Ari found her feet slipping beneath her, unable to gain a foothold with the amount of mud clinging to her boots. She was three quarters of the way down when suddenly the rock she was holding in her left hand dislodged from the wet mud and Ari lost her footing. With a shriek she slid the last ten or twelve feet to the canyon floor and landed with an ungraceful thump.

"Ari!"

"I'm fine!" Ari said spitting mud. Her clothes and face were coated in the dark brown mud and she knew she probably had some in her hair as well. She tried to brush her pants off but it was useless as every bit of her was covered in the sticky mud. She walked over to the pile of useless junk that had once been her motorcycle. The metal was rusted and corroded, bits of wire hung out haphazardly and the black fiber glass of the outer carriage was cracked and faded and melted. The pleather of the seat was cracked and peeled and the cotton padding inside was long since gone and rotted away by weather. "My poor baby….I'll never let you get this bad back home…ever." She sighed as she looked at the wreck of her bike. Thank goodness time moved differently in her world…..she would be hard pressed to tell her mother what had happened to her bike. She pushed at the heap of junk and managed to pry the latch open on the hidden cargo area beneath the seat.

"Aha!" She cried. Her tool kit was still inside and she opened it to reveal a purple and black set of screwdrivers and wrenches that her Grandfather had gotten her. "Excellent!" Ari tucked the toolkit away and then approached the wall of the canyon. She looked at the steep walls and wondered how she would get back up. Things were always easier before she thought them out completely. It only took her trying twice to scale it in the mud to give up and call for a rope.

"Doesn't this bring back familiar memories." Maleth grumbled as he retrieved the rope from his saddlebags. "Gimmerbeck…take hold of this and lower it down to Lady Arianna…I'm not as young as I used to be…I don't think I could pull her up as I once did."

"Yes sir." The young man swung the rope down to Ari who grasped it and climbed up without any difficulty at all. "Are you alright my Lady?" Gimmerbeck asked when she'd crested the canyon.

"Never better." Eomer stood a pace or two away his eyes dark and angry. "Excuse me Gimmerbeck." She went towards Eomer who took in the site of her.

Mud coated every inch of the front of her clothing and was caked in thick clumps at her knees and elbows. Her face was smeared with a solid coat of gray brown mud, the mask of it extending back into her hair and clumping in places.

"What?" Ari asked when Eomer continued to stare at her. "Is there something on my face?" She brushed a muddy hand across her cheek and only succeeded in adding more mud to her already filthy face.

"That's not funny Arianna." He ground out.

"What? I don't get it…aww, come here and give me a kiss." She approached him, the amusement plain in her voice but Eomer turned and stomped away. "Someone's touchy." She said as she turned to her horse and grasped a rag from the saddle bag to clean her self with. The horse nudged her in the back. "Hey now….don't you sass me." The horse nodded its head towards Eomer and grunted and whinnied a few times as if trying to tell Ari something. "I know, I'll go talk to him, no worries." Ari dropped the rag back to the ground and went in search of Eomer.

He was standing at the top of the hill breaking branches in his hand. Where they'd come from she wasn't' sure of at first until she saw the fallen tree resting behind him.

"Hey, what's your deal?"

"Why must you be so cavalier?" He turned quickly on her flinging the branches to the ground. "Why do you never listen to me?"

"What the hell has gotten into you? I'm not being …"

"Dammit Ari! You could have died back there!" Eomer shouted. His voice echoed slightly across the hills.

Several of the men looked up from what they were doing at the two figures standing on the hill and watched as Eomer gestured frantically at Arianna.

"Someon'e in trouble." One of the men laughed.

"Which one?" Said another as Arianna too began gesturing angrily at Eomer who took a step back from her.

"That's none of your concern." Maleth said coldly from behind them. They jumped slightly at being caught by the elder man and went back to work silently.

"I'm a grown woman, Eomer! And I knew EXACTLY what I was doing. You're not my protector. If you remember right I fought just as well as you did two years ago and I've done fine since then. I was just PEACHY before I came here too, so don't even go there with me, ok?" Eomer was pissing her off. He'd always been a bit of a worry wart but he was being ridiculous just now.

"I worry for you Ari because you do not do it yourself. Even your mother sees it. It is one thing we have in common." Eomer shouted back. "I love you! Don't you see that? Don't you see that I would die if anything befell you?" Ari stepped back from Eomer. She looked off into the dense forest that stretched between the distant river and the Misty Mountains.

"I know." She said eventually bringing dark eyes back to his, her breath calming. "I know I'm reckless and cavalier. But I'm not used to anybody really giving a damn. Mom quit yelling at me years ago."

"Because it always falls on deaf ears, she knows you won't listen to her, but I at least hope you'll listen to me. I haven't learned her lesson yet."

"Alright alright I'll…" Ari never finished her sentence as Eomer kissed her fiercely.

"_Please_ promise me to be careful." He said resting his forehead against hers, his thumb stroked absently along her still dirty cheek.

"I'll try." Movement caught Ari's eye and she pulled away from Eomer looking into the black forest. "What was that?"

"What?" Eomer followed her gaze into the forest, trying to see what Ari saw.

"There." Ari pointed to a spot in the direction of the river where flocks of birds were taking flight from the canopy and settling uneasily back into the treetops.

"Perhaps it is merely the ents moving…." Eomer said uneasily. Few people ever saw ents…he'd been lucky to go out on an excursion to Isengard with Gandalf and Aragorn shortly after the battle at Helms Deep. He'd met the ents then but his people still believed them to be a thing of legend.

"I didn't think the ents disturbed that much unless they were on the war path." ARi thought back to little Pippin and Merry's tales of the ents when they were brought to the Golden Hall. They'd been quite emphatic about the fact that if the trees didn't bob around you'd never know that their 'huma huma huma's' were anything other than a pesky termite problem. "Merry and Pippin said that the ents moved through the forest with ease and they only saw them get truly malevolent when they were trashing Isengard. Something is out there."

"Mount up! We head for the Anduil!"


	5. What Lies Beneath

Ari and Eomer split the men in half and sent one group along the edge of Fanghorn forest and the other prepared to venture in with them.

"We shall meet you in three days time at the confluence of this stream here and the Anduil. Follow the river and stay there until we come for you….do you understand?"

"Yes M'lord." The young captain answered as Eomer folded the map and put it away.

Ari stood just outside the ring of fires and looked into the deep woods. Everything was silent. Even the men were strangely silent in the shadow of the trees. Eomer found her standing silently in the shadows looking into the wall of trees. A slight wind began keening across the planes and whipped at their cloaks as they stood in the moonlight.

"Can you feel that?"

"The feeling of foreboding and malevolence?"

"Yeah."

"No, not at all…." Ari glared at Eomer, eyes flashing in the pale fire light. Eomer grinned sheepishly in return. "I'm trying to make you smile."

"Something's not right…I don't like sitting here."

"You can go with the company up the Anduil…." Eomer knew as soon as the words had crossed his lips that it was the wrong thing to say.

"That's not what I mean….I think Eldarion is in there but is being held or hunted by something."

"I think you need some rest before we take the plunge into the woods tomorrow morning." Ari went begrudgingly and waited all night for something to move. She wasn't sure when she drifted off to sleep.

The next morning they had a quick cup of coffee and ate a quick meal of nuts and bread. Then the camp split in two and went their separate ways. The woods held a magic air in the early morning light. Columns of sunlight plunged through the dense canopy to splash across the forest floor where tiny flowers struggled to grow in the feeble and cold light. The going through the thick trees was slow. There were only twelve men in their group but the thickness of the trees forced them to dismount and thread their way carefully through with their horses. They rested at a creek and let the horses drink but they had no clue how much time had passed since morning…the sun was completely obscured by the thick trees.

They continued on, Ari's ears pricked for anything that might betray what had been disturbing the birds.

"I see no birds." One man muttered as they marched through the woods on their second day. "This place is uninhabitable.

"Oh, and that's why that fox just crossed our path." Ari shot back over her shoulder.

"Listen, I'm just saying that we're on a wild…"

"We don't know if he's in here or not!" Ari interrupted the man. They began arguing and shouting back and forth until Eomer rode back and silenced them. He rode up to the man Ari had been arguing with and spoke quietly but harshly to him. Ari ignored the exchange. It was Eomer's job to upbraid the man. She turned away from the rest of the company and looked through the trees in the direction they'd been traveling in. They'd made their hook back towards the Anduil and as far as they could reckon were only a few hours away from the joining spot of the other unit.The fox that Ari had been talking about was back and staring at them intently. Suddenly a horrifying crash sounded on their left and the trees split back from whatever was barreling towards them. Bits of earth shot up from the ground as tree roots sprung free of the ground.

"Everybody move!" Eomer shouted as he and Ari mounted their horses and drew swords. "You too Ari…go!"

"Like hell I will!" She shouted back as her horse side stepped beneath her. "What the hell is that?" She had to shout to be heard over the crashing in the woods to their left but they still couldn't see what was causing the destruction.

"I don't know…but let's move now…..I don't think we should…" Suddenly a volley of arrows rained down on them and the entire troop broke into a gallop to get away from the barrage. The sounds behind them stopped and they gathered to see if anyone had seen what had been behind them.

"What do we do Eomer? We can't fight something we can't see." Ari said looking into the dense forest.

"I know that." Eomer sniped at her and walked towards the trees they had just come through and stared into the dark forest. "Ari…can you climb this tree?"

"Do Chicken's taste good?"

"Tell me if you can get a birds eye view at our position and what might be out there."

Ari stripped out of her leather jerkin and boots and climbed in her leggings and camisole. Ari took her time climbing, making sure her foot had a solid spot on the branches and that she wasn't sticking her hands in something icky. She'd set her hands in too many wasps nests as a child and still bore marks from where she'd fallen fifteen feet and hit every branch on the way down after sticking her hand into a large, sticky sappy spiders nest. She braced her shins against the top most branch and broke free of the dense canopy and into the bright sunlight. She twisted around and looked behind her. The edge of the forest was less than a quarter mile away. The river glittered in the sunlight as it moved down towards Rohan. She could see the other troop of men camped beside it. She turned her view back towards the mountains and the direction from whence they'd come. She could see that the forest had been eaten up by something.

Something building a road that came straight from the misty mountains right towards the river. Ari went back down the tree as quickly as she dared and dropped to the ground behind Eomer.

"Something's building a road through the forest…but the other men are a little more than a quarter mile away from here."

"Could you see what the something was?"

"No, but it's big enough to push the trees down but not tall enough to break the canopy of the trees." The sound of metal against metal and a horrible cry made Ari and Eomer look around frantically for its source. Suddenly a large man-like creature rushed from the trees and advanced on the small unit of men clustered in the center of the clearing, more following in its wake. Eomer drew his swords and grabbed Ari's arm, never once taking his eyes from the battle unfolding in the clearing.

"Ari, get dressed, you'll do little good without your boots. Then I want you to mount up, get the others and get back here." Eomer grasped her shoulder and ran for the melee that was taking place in the clearing. Ari stooped down and tugged on her boots trying to get them pulled on. She stood quickly slipping the leather jerkin on, but neglecting to fasten it. She ran, sword drawn for the far side of the clearing where the horses danced away from the swinging blades. Ari was knocked backwards by a large arm and she landed hard on her back, the wind rushing from her lungs.

"You son of a bitch!" Ari managed to breathe as she kicked up into the creature's chest sending him stumbling backwards. She saw Eomer embattled with three of the creatures and rushed to his aide. She managed to take out one of the things and caught the second off guard long enough to give Eomer a chance to wound the third in the leg.

"Ari, run, please!" Eomer turned to her and grasped her arm pushing her towards the horses. "Go now before…" Eomer grunted and his face twisted in agony. His grip on Ari's arm tightened painfully and Ari watched helplessly as he dropped his sword from his hand and grasped his chest.

"Eomer? Eomer!" He released her arm as he sank to his knees.

"Ari, go…." He breathed softly. She looked at where an arrow stuck out of the back of his left shoulder.

"But…"

"Ari…"

"I'll be back." She said quickly. She rushed through the skirmish and grabbed the first captain she found, dispatching him on horseback for the rest of the unit. Then she went back to where another man was protecting Eomer who still sat crumpled to his knees. "Hey, I need you to hang on, ok?"

Eomer's eyes looked glassy and he was breathing with difficulty. Her hands shook as she eased him onto his right side and knelt behind him, holding onto him and hoping he wouldn't die.

"I love you Ari."

"I love you too." She brushed his beautiful hair from his face. "We've got to get the arrow out though….." He grasped at her hand before she could reach for the arrow shaft.

"Don't…." Ari stayed with him and watched as the battle ebbed and flowed around them. The men created a defensive ring around them fending off the ghastly creatures. The ground suddenly shook with the force of the hooves as the rest of the unit entered the clearing and drove the creatures back into the woods.

"Maleth!" Ari shouted for the old man who galloped towards them and flew from the back of the saddle quickly and knelt at his lord's side. He peeled the helmet from his head and stared at Ari.

"Are you alright?"

"Me? I'm fine….it's Eomer…" Maleth shouted to several men who immediately and quickly erected a tent around Ari, Eomer and Maleth.

"We've got to get the arrow out Maleth, but he won't let me…."

"Ari." Ari leaned over to listen to Eomer's weak voice. "Let Maleth do it…he knows how to remove an arrow. He's got to push it through…."

"My mother's people used arrows to hunt and to fight…I know you have to push it through before you can pull it out." Ari snapped. "I could have had this done ten minutes ago if you weren't so mule headed!"

"Maleth is stronger….Maleth---Maleth can do it quicker than you could." Ari looked at Maleth who was already pushing his sleeves up and reaching around Eomer. Ari slit her sleeve and rolled it and placed the twist of fabric over Eomer's teeth.

"Bit down and hang on to me---hang on to me Eomer…" Ari held onto Eomer with all her might as another man, who Maleth had called for while she was preparing the bite for Eomer held fast to the man's legs.

"Ready?" Maleth asked as he grasped the shaft of the arrow. Ari and the other man nodded. "Alright then…."


	6. Tears and Blood Lust

Eomer's back arched and he cried out into the gag. The man at his feet held fast to keep him from kicking at Maleth who had punched the arrow through Eomer's shoulder. He slit the leather of Eomer's light jerkin and broke the barbed head off the arrow before pulling the shaft out of Eomer's back. Pulling the shaft out made Eomer twitch once again and squint his eyes against the pain. Blood seeped freely from both the entrance and exit wounds.

"He is lucky it lodged below his collar bone…any lower and it would have been difficult to get out…"

"We have to get him out of here…we have to get a bandage on this and get him out of this forest." The other man said to Maleth even as Ari held her hands to the wounds trying to stem the blood flow.

"And fast…he's losing blood quickly." By the time Eomer had been stripped of his blood soaked shirt and tunic and his wound dressed, he'd slipped into unconsciousness. Ari stepped out of the tent and looked around….Her horse had been fitted with a travois, the thick canvas of the tents was stretched over it to make a litter for Eomer. The men looked at her blankly and she took the moment to look down at her clothes. Her trousers and hands were coated in blood.

_Eomer's blood._

"Lady Ari?" Maleth emerged from the tent and came over to Ari who still stood staring at the red, sticky mess on her hands and clothes.

"It was my fault…it was my fault he was shot." She said looking at her hands but not really seeing them.

"No…he is a warrior…battle wounds are a part of life for him." Maleth, seasoned warrior that he was, had seen this before. It was battle shock, and though Ari had fought in several of the bloodiest battles ever to grace the lands of Middle Earth, she'd never had to deal with the shock of losing someone she'd loved.

"No…if I had listened to him--If I had gone to get you as he had asked…."

"He would be dead right now." Another man said. "He was battling three of those monsters…you killed one and gave him the chance to injure the other. The third slipped away after you distracted it and his fellows fell."

"I distracted him." Ari sobbed suddenly. "It was meant for me…he stepped in front of me to…to tell me to go….the arrow was meant to kill me…I'll never forgive myself if he…." Maleth grasped the girl in a tight, fatherly hug as she began to cry.

"It is a good thing it killed neither of you. He would be lost with out you." Maleth held her at arms length and looked deep in her watery eyes. "But now you must be strong for him. We will take him to Isengard and have the wizards there aide him, but you must lead us. Can you do that?" Ari nodded slowly.

"Strike the camp." She said softly. "Everyone mount up." She shouted. The men moved and prepared to leave. She entered the tent where Eomer lay.

"Eomer, Eomer can you hear me?" Eomer's eyes fluttered open slowly, but he did not focus on her. "Eomer, Maleth is going to take you back to Isengard. They're going to help you there." Two captains entered the tent and lifted Eomer from the ground and out to the waiting litter. Ari tied her jerkin closed and listened to the mental conversation she was having with herself.

"_I have to be strong… I can't stand here and be a blithering idiot. I have to go on. I must avenge him._."

"_Your mother always said that that vengeance streak would get you in trouble someday….think this through. You can't go out there by yourself and kill them all."_

"_Watch me."_

She walked over to where one of the creatures lay and crouched beside it's monstrous form.

It was ugly. The creature looked like an orc, but was taller and better built. At first she thought it was an Urukai but then realized it was the grizzly product of the breeding of an Urukai and a human.

_Son of a bitch….that can mean only one thing….oh God. Concentrate! You've got work to do! Be quick about it!_

She dug through pockets in the heavy leather tunic the creature wore looking for clues for who it was working for and where it had come from. She was a woman possessed, pawing and digging over the creature like a scavenger. She had worked her way over the creature's body and down to its leg when she found her first and only clue.

Clinging to the creature's knee was a Mallorn leaf.

_Mallorn leaves only grow in Lothlorian….._

Ari rose quickly clutching the leaf in her hand and went to Eomer's horse as hers was occupied with pulling the travois. Maleth had watched as Ari had pawed through the creatures clothes looking for clues. He'd seen the look that she now had in her eyes before as well. But he'd never seen it take hold so quickly.

_Powers that be----protect Middle Earth…..her blood lust is up._

"Arianna?"

"I'm going after them Maleth…I won't let them get away with this."

"Who?"

"These creatures….they're….they're evil….but they're from Lorien. The elves vacated it and now these things have taken up residence there. I'm going after them."

"We shall go with you."

"I can't allow you to put yourselves in danger Maleth."

"You don't have a choice. He was our captain too." Maleth said moving his horse beside Ari. "I also can not allow you to put yourself in harms way. Should Queen Eowyn discover it, she'd have my head. If Lord Eomer left me alive." He smiled and watched Ari smile back and nod her assent for his accompaniment. Maleth issued orders for the injured to return to Isengard and ordered several of the more able bodied troopers to accompany them. Eighteen men mounted up to follow Ari and the two parties split at the edge of the forest. Ari dismounted from Eomer's big horse and walked to where Eomer lay.

"Ari?"

"Yeah, I'm here…"

"Don't….foolish…." Eomer's eyes could not focus on her.

"They must have poisoned the arrows…..he wouldn't be like that from mere blood loss." Ari said to one of the men riding with them. "Make sure the wizards know this."

"I will ma'am." Many turned their backs as Ari pressed a gentle kiss to Eomer's lips.

"I will get them, Eomer…..I'm not going to let them get away with hurting you." She vaulted into her saddle and turned her horse. "Go! Get him the aide he needs. We will meet you at Isengard."

Ari set a grueling pace across the hills and over the river towards the distant gray smudge on the horizon that was the Lorien Woods. Few of the men with them had ever traveled as far and were worried about the terrain, but Ari's blind need for revenge spurred them all onward. Three days after they'd separated from the injured at the edge of Fanghorn forest, Maleth begged ARianna to stop.

"The horses can't take much more of this pace you've set for us and neither can the men. PLEASE Ari, slow down!" Ari begrudgingly slowed her pursuit down and was overly disappointed that it took them more than a week to come within clear view of the woods of the White Lady. They camped in a protected canyon just beyond the edge of the woods and made fires.

"Do you even know what to look for?" Maleth asked. "How will we find them?"

"I….well they're probably living in the talans of the old elf city at Lothlorian." Ari said running a whet stone over her sword. "At least that's my guess."

"And do you know how to get there?"

"No."

"Do you have a plan to get there?"

"I'm just going to ride in there and look around."

"That's not a good plan Ari. We are not even sure those things are here…what if they moved long ago." Maleth had dropped the formality of 'lady'. Not only had Ari begged him to quit using the title but it did not seem appropriate when she was the leader of the vendetta mission.

"They haven't…it had been a quick move for the ones in Fangorn. The mallorn leaf---"

"Ari…"

"Have you ever had a feeling, Maleth, that was so strong and powerful that you just HAD to follow it?" Maleth looked at her from across their small fire.

"Aye….the day I first found you in the canyon, and the day you and Lord Eomer returned to Middle Earth….both days I felt compelled to take my men where I did."

"I feel that way now…I feel compelled to go in there."

"That is why many of us are here though we all question it….we too feel this is where we are supposed to be…that something will happen."

That something did happen.

The next morning they broke camp late. Maleth had convinced Ari to let everyone rest before they went on their quest within the woods. They broke camp just before noon and exited the canyon. It took them over an hour to scale the high walls and reach the rim, and then looked for the first time on the silver barked Mallorn trees of Lorian.

The trees reached up into the sky more than two hundred feet. ARi could see they were thick about the bottoms and that their leaves, which were just coming in, were the most lush shade of green she had ever seen in her life.

"The leaves will turn golden with the coming of summer. That is how it gets the name of the golden wood." Maleth said.

They were still waiting for all the men to reach the top of the canyon when Ari saw a sight all too familiar to her.

A dark brown horse came bursting from the trees far to their left and raced along the tree line in their direction. Faster and faster the figure came towards them and Ari could see he was wearing a heavy gray cloak. The misty mountains rose up behind the trees of Lorien and the man seeing the scattered riders at the canyon ledge turned his horse away from them. He put something to his lips and soon the clear, bold sound of the horn of Gondor sounded across the plain.

"Eldarion!" Ari spurred the horse into a gallop. Eomer's had come up with a thrown shoe and she had been forced to ride a small roan that was temperamental at best. She'd also made everyone don full armor for their excursion into the woods…she would take no chances going into enemy territory. The man on horse back turned into the woods and disappeared from sight, his gray cloak camouflaging him into the woods. "Eldarion!" Ari shouted again but it was too late. She heard the call of the horn of Gondor stopped abruptly and saw more of the Uruk-creatures they'd battled the week prior come stepping out of the trees.

The creatures snarled and gnashed their teeth as they advanced on the small band of Rohirrim who raised their spears, ready to fight. With a horrific crash the two groups collided and the battle began.

Ari used every trick she knew. She swung her sword down at the vile creatures around her as they approached her horse trying to pull her from the saddle. The skittish roan side stepped and danced away from them as they fought with the person on her back. Ari saw Eldarion re-emerge from the tree line making a bee-line from more creatures.

She watched as one of them leapt into the air and peeled Eldarion from the back of his horse and dragged him into the woods.

"No!" Ari spurred the horse and urged it to leap over dead bodies that had fallen in the way. Horse and rider gathered more and more speed when suddenly Ari felt the horse stumble beneath her. Everything seemed to stop and then moved in slow motion as if she were watching a movie frame by terrible frame.

Ari flew over the horse's head and landed with a thud on the ground. Sound became a dull and distant thing. Excruciating pain ripped through her body and she lost the ability to hear and breath at all. _"Dear God, this is what dying feels like….this is death."_

Maleth watched, helpless from the other side of the battlefield as Ari flipped through the air and landed on the ground in front of her terrified horse who charged forward and trampled Ari beneath her hooves. He cried out and made to move for her, to try to save her but was stopped by one of the creatures who were barreling towards him. The fight between the two was brief; Maleth got a lucky open swing on his attacker and severed the creature's head from it's body, but when he looked back to where Ari had been laying, he could no longer find her.

A horn sounded again, this one twisted and watery sounding and the creatures quickly retreated from the field. Maleth and the men collected the injured and hastily buried the dead. Ari was among neither party.

"M'lord, I found this…" One of the men ran up to Maleth and handed him the hilt of a broken sword.

"This is Arianna's sword….where did you find it?" Maleth asked the young man. He led Maleth to the very edge of the woods where both men could see that someone had been dragged back into the dense undergrowth.

"I found it here m'lord." Both men looked deep into the ominous woods and Maleth's chest tightened.

"Why did I let her do this? What will they do to her?"


	7. Interesting Places and New Faces

Ari opened her eyes and slowly took in the view directly above her.

It was dark, moldy brick. Water dripped somewhere to her right, the soft 'ping' of it hitting a hard surface echoed in the cavernous room she found herself in. She lay on a cold slab of stone, she could feel it beneath her shoulders and at her fingertips which rested atop the flat surface. She vaguely remembered thinking she had died. Was she back in Rohan having an after death experience? Was this her burial altar?

_No_.

She'd been in the dungeons beneath the Golden Hall and they were dry. She'd also been out to the burial mounds….she'd help bury warriors of Rohan. She knew there were no stone altars beneath the mounds.

_Then where the hell am I?_

Slowly she moved her arms back and tried to push herself up into a sitting position. White light seared across her plane of vision as pain like nothing she'd ever experienced before shredded through her side and chest.

"You shouldn't do that." A soft deep voice rippled into her perception and she tried to refocus her eyes on the stone above her head and calm her breathing. "You're hurt pretty badly." Ari turned her head to the side and looked at a figure sitting in the deep shadows beneath a grated window. Pale silver light threaded through the tiny gate and splashed across the damp and muddy floor. The strangers face was covered by his hood and he lounged lazily against loose rocks that were piled against the wall.

"What?" Ari experienced another flash of white light across her vision and she felt the incredible urge to puke. Bile rose in her throat and she clamped her jaw against the wave of nausea rushing over her. She ground her teeth and took small breaths through her nose until the episode passed her by. She hadn't felt this bad waking up in Gondor after fighting Sauron's army, and she didn't even feel this bad after Aragorn had cauterized her wounded arm. This was the absolute worst pain she'd ever felt in her entire existence. She tried to move again to get up but gave up the effort entirely, tears rushing down the side of her face. "What happened?" The stranger got up quickly and rushed to her side. His face was still half hidden in the shadow of his hood but Ari didn't care who it was, only if he could help her or not.

"Relax….let me take a look." The man slid Ari's shirt up and looked at the black bruise forming on her side, a perfect horse's shoe against her rib cage. "Does it hurt when I…." Ari whimpered as the man ran his fingers over the spot on her side.

"Yes." She managed to breathe out.

"I think you may have broken some ribs." The man pushed his hood back and looked deep into Ari's eyes. The man's eyes were the palest gray Ari had ever seen….paler than hers or her fathers'. His wavy brown hair brushed the collar of his jerkin and he had a thin growth of facial hair across his chin and cheeks. "You should rest some before you try to get up."

"I don't have the luxury of rest." Ari groaned. Her mind was already working trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this prison if she couldn't move. She'd had little trouble when she'd been free to move and able to get out of her bonds in the prison at Meduseled. They'd only been able to prevent her escape by binding her to the wall with a short length of chain and starving and beating her into submission. She slid her wrist towards her injured side and for the first time realized she wore a heavy manacle attached to a long length of chain that was coiled on the ground. "What the…?"

"We are chained to the walls…however they did give us quite a significant length of chain with which to move around."

"Help me up." The man, or Stranger, as Ari was thinking of calling him, eased her into a seated position and helped hold her there while she caught her breath and caught her bearings. "Let's see here….." Ari patted herself down mentally to see what she had on her that she could possibly use. Her right arm hurt but her left arm could move fairly well. She felt around inside the leather jerkin she still wore and found the tool kit from her bike. She was sure she could use something in there. She was also thankful for the bobby pin she always concealed in her hair now after being incarcerated in the Rohan prison. It was difficult to get it out, neither of her arms wanted to rise up over her shoulders but she somehow managed to grasp it and worked it out of her hair only to have it bounce out of her hand and land on the floor. "Could you get that?"

Stranger got up and retrieved the bobby pin.

"What is this?" He asked handing it back to her.

"A bobby pin. Don't ask questions with complicated answers. I don't have the energy, power or breath to answer you right now." One of her screwdrivers was skinny enough to fit in the lock, but too stiff to maneuver the mechanism. Ari had dismantled several locks after returning to her time and figured out how they worked and what one had to do to open the lock. It came in handy a few times at the pool tables in the dorms and saved her and Eomer quite a few dollars. The bobby pin would be the tool of choice. The lock popped open easily with little prodding from the bobby pin. "Childs play." She announced as it fell from her wrist.

"How did you….where…what?"

"I said no complicated questions." She waved him forward and picked the locks on his wrists easily, the manacles falling noisily to the floor. "Smooth move ex-lax now someone is bound to have heard you."

"But they won't come in…..they leave this completely unguarded and only come down here to leave meals….although that will probably change soon." He sighed heavily and leaned against the wall.

"What makes you say that?"

"My escape before….I was only able to get out because they let me wander free and I managed to get out of my cell down the hall. I walked right out…..they followed."

"How'd you get out?" Ari looked at the door at the end of her bench. It was solid wood without the benefit of an indoor lock or latch. She couldn't even contemplate picking a lock—there was none.

"The door was different…I managed to slip between the bars in it."

"You're that skinny?" Ari looked skeptically at the man seated beside her and tried to imagine him slipping between jail bars. Either the bars were set wide apart or this dude could make himself stretch like Mr. Incredible.

"No….I nearly got stuck once….I had to pull the bars apart quite a bit…and no, I'm not that strong either." He laughed when he saw the look on Ari's face. "It's a long story I can tell you later. However, you can see, they learned from their last mistake although I doubt they realized you were an accomplished locksmith before putting you in here."

"Lock smith? Hell no…." Ari scooted back slowly and leaned against the wall, her hand going protectively across her injured side. "Lock picker…yes."

"Well, you'll be a wizard if you can get through that door." Stranger said as he gestured towards the door. "With your condition being what it is, I'd say that would hold doubly true."

"This sucks the big one….just this little movement and I'm already tuckered out." Ari's voice was breathy and weak. She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. Stranger took this moment to observe this woman he found himself incarcerated with.

She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen. She had hair the color of jet and skin tanned by many days in the sun. Her features were smooth and elegant but it was her eyes that caught him off guard. They were an enchanting gray color. When first she'd been brought in, he wondered where they'd found an elleth in Middle Earth for she bore the coloring of his mother's people. Perhaps she was a ranger from the north. If that were so, then he'd been searching for her and her people before he'd been captured. A ring had glittered on her right hand and he'd examined it before retreating to his side of the wide cell….two horses entwined around a carved emerald. It was distinctively Rohirrim, but no rider of Rohan nor shield maiden he'd ever met had ever looked like her. The horse hoof on her side meant she'd been near horses when she had been captured, and he had seen a unit of Rohirrim before going to the woods…

She muttered something that he didn't quite catch so absorbed was he in observing her.

"Pardon me?"

"I need to pee….at least I will soon." She elaborated without opening her eyes.

"Oh---um---I see." Ari opened her eyes and looked at Stranger. His face was an adorable shade of red and he averted his eyes from hers.

"You embarrassed by that?"

"Well, I mean….yes. None of the women I've ever been around would ever publicly discuss….um—"

"Popping a squat?" If she didn't think it would hurt too much, she'd have laughed outright as his face turned another shade of red. "Avert your eyes then….I'm gonna find me a far corner with some cover…they obviously didn't give us a bucket or anything." Ari levered herself off the bench and staggered a few feet along the wall to her left before she slumped against it and had to catch her breath. Her leg hurt just as much as the rest of her, something she hadn't noticed before while she'd been lying on the bench. She glanced down and noticed a large deep red stain on her pant leg. After a few deep heaving breaths, she managed to make it to the far dark corner of the cell. She peeked up to make sure Stranger wasn't looking and carefully relieved herself as maintaining a squat was out of the question with her body rebelling against her. She took a moment while her pants were down to examine the inside of her thigh where a nasty black bruise was forming, deep red welts and a significant amount of blood seeped from a horseshoe shaped wound.

_I'll turn that fucking horse into glue._ Her horse or Eomer's horse never would have tossed her and stomped her. Ari vowed to herself that if she ever made it out of jail and back to Rohan, she'd turn the skittish roan into dinner.

Carefully she made her way back to the bench and was nearly there when her knees started to shake and her legs felt ready to give out. She plopped heavily down on the stone bench before she stumbled and immediately regretted the action as the jolt of the hard stone under her ass reverberated through her body and rattled her rib cage.

Her eyes rolled back in her head and what little her stomach contained threatened to make reappearance. Her breath stuck in her chest and her skin paled noticeably.

"Miss?" Stranger watched as the color drained from Ari, unable to help her. "Are you alright?"

"No." She ground out and calmed slightly as the wave of nausea passed over her slowly.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No." Ari's eyes would still not quite focus on anything and she was finding it a little difficult to support herself.

"Here, lie down for a while….get rested." Ari felt Strangers' hand on her arm and the side of her face. "Miss?" Ari brought her eyes slowly to his.

"Yeah….rest….." She slumped into his hand and allowed him to help her lie down carefully without further damage to herself.

"Sleep well." The man waited until her breathing slowed and evened out before he left her side. He returned to his spot on the opposite wall and continued to stare at the injured woman opposite him.


	8. Assessing the Situation

Ari opened her eyes slowly but couldn't make out much of anything in the darkness that now engulfed the dank cell. Someone was running a cool rag over her face, neck and arms.

"You're awake?" Stranger's acute hearing picked up on the subtle change in her breathing for he could not see her eyes in the darkness.

"Yeah…" Ari coughed and hissed in pain. "What I wouldn't give for morphine right now."

"What is 'phine' and why would you want more of it?"

"No…not 'phine'….Morphine…one word." She breathed heavily. "It's a drug in my world…a powerful painkiller."

"I imagine you would." Ari shuddered and dealt with the imminent pain that rippled through her body. "You burn with fever."

"Yeah, tell me something I didn't know." Ari moved to sit up but was held down by Stranger's strong hand.

"You need plenty of rest. We can talk later when you're feeling better." Stranger pulled the cloth over her face again but ceased when she again shuddered violently and whimpered. "Miss?" He set the shallow bowl aside and brushed a hand across her heated brow.

"Ari. My name is Ari." Her teeth chattered and her whole body tensed; like the string of a bow ready to fire. "No more 'miss'."

"Well, Ari. Close your eyes…rest if you can." He heard her sniff and a sob escaped her lips.

"It hurts so bad…." She gasped. "Oh God this hurts so bad." She felt him raise her shirt up and place a warm hand against her injured side.

"I wish there was more I could do for you."

"Thanks for trying." The pain continued to pulse through her and it took Ari almost an hour to fall back asleep.

Stranger sat by Ari's side for days. Her face was a pale, sickly, yellow gray. Her eyes were surrounded by red and purple rings and her lips were thin and white. The few times she opened her eyes they were dull and disoriented, and often times of lucidity brought with it a bout of vomiting. Stranger bathed her brow during the day when she was hottest and covered her with his cloak at night when the damp chill was at its worst. He napped occasionally during the day when he could find time. His only concern was helping her get over the illness that wracked her body. Once she was well, they could formulate a plan for escape. As it was, he was observing the habits of their guards.

On the morning of the fifth day of their capture, Ari opened her eyes and felt Déjà vu brush over her. She was staring at moldy, black brick.

"How are you feeling?" The voice brought her attention to Strangers face and she slowly heaved a sigh.

"Like crap." His hand rested lightly on her forehead.

"The fever has broken…but you'll still need to rest some before you can get up and move about." He said. "I wish I had access to the outside…I could find herbs to make a poultice for you…"

"I'll survive." Ari said dryly. "I usually do."

"Well, it's good to see you awake." The man smiled at her but she could not muster one to return to him. "Are you hungry? The guards should be bringing some food by shortly."

"How would you know that?" Ari was shocked to hear something slide across the floor and Stranger quickly got up to retrieve it. "What was that?"

"Our supper…." Stranger sat down and looked at the tray. There was a large bowl of soup and some bread that they were obviously meant to share….either they were meant to share it or they thought Ari was dead and he was the only one left in the cell….and they wanted him fattened up. He rolled his cloak up behind Ari's head and got her into a half seated position against some of the rocks. It was uncomfortable for Ari, but at least she could eat easier.

"What is that…" Ari could have sworn something moved in the soup bowl.

"Soup, obviously." Stranger said with a smile. "What else could it be?"

"Slime from the black lagoon…..Something they scraped off the bottom of a boat? I dunno, but that's the nastiest soup I've ever seen."

"Well, it doesn't exactly taste as bad as it looks." Stranger said laughing. Ari knew she had to eat and slowly opened her mouth when Stranger directed a full spoon towards her mouth.

_If I puke, it's all on him….not exactly the best 'thank you' I could ever come up with, but if he's gonna make me eat this stuff…._

It had no taste….and the texture, though leaving much to be desired wasn't so bad that she couldn't stomach it. Stranger fed her more than half the bowl and handed her a chunk of bread with which to follow it.

"My name is Arianna Carver." Ari said as Stranger finished off the soup.

"I know."

"You do?"

"You told me several nights ago, when you were under the fever."

"Oh." Had he told her his name? She felt bad about not knowing his name and for referring to him as Stranger in her head. "So how long was I out?"

"About five days."

"FIVE DAYS!" Ari coughed…the outburst wasn't accepted well by her body and she stared incredulously at Stranger. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No."

"So for five days you've been sitting here tending me, when you could have been trying to escape." Strangers gray eyes settled on hers.

"I believe you are going to be of great use in getting out of here…I'll not leave a key resource behind. Besides, in five days I figured out the patterns of the guards." He gestured over to a series of rocks on the floor. "When the light crosses these rocks here, is when the sun generally rises. These here signify our morning meal being brought to us. And this one lunch. This third stone, here—is when they check us in the afternoon. The door in the bottom slides open but nothing comes through it. They look around the room from the door and then leave again. And then this one here….this is when the sun sets.

"So we just had lunch?"

"Yes." Ari nodded. This guy knew what he was doing. Good…she didn't have to drag an incompetent out of the cell. "But you should rest more. Until you have all your strength back, you'll be of little use."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence." Ari relaxed back against her rock bed and was soon asleep.

In Isengard, Eomer was just waking up himself.

"Welcome to the world of the living." The aged wizard said smiling down on him. "How are you feeling?"

"Not well….but I suppose I should feel spectacular considering I'm not dead." Eomer grunted as he looked up at the wizard.

"Yes…I suppose that is true." The man laughed. "I shall bring you food and something to drink if you wish it."

"Aye…and send Ari in…I'd like to speak with her."

"Who?" The wizard stopped at the door and looked at the man in bed. He'd so hoped that in the two weeks the man had been unconscious that he was finally better.

"Arianna….where is Arianna?" Eomer asked as he tried to sit up but the wizard was back at his side in a moment.

"Sir, no woman was brought with you…only a dozen men of your battalion who had been injured." Eomer's face paled. "I will send one of them in and they can tell you what has happened." The wizard disappeared and soon one of the young lieutenants was standing in Eomer's door.

"Good Day M'lord."

"No pleasantries…just tell me where Ari is."

"Well sir, she went off after the creatures with the rest of the men. They were headed towards Lorien." Eomer sat back and listened to the man relay all that had happened. A commotion outside caught their attention and the young lieutenant went to the window. "It is Maleth m'lord…and the rest!" The man left the room quickly to bring Ari to Eomer, but was shocked to see the woman absent from the badly injured ranks. Maleth limped towards the man.

"Where is Lord Eomer? Is he well?"

"Aye sir, he just awoke today and was asking for Lady Ari….where is she?" When Maleth shook his head sadly the young lieutenant hung his head. "Lord Eomer will not be pleased…."

"Aye….keep the men down here…I shall make my report to him."

Maleth entered the room covered in the grime of battle and travel. It had taken them more than a week to return to Isengard with a slow pace dictated by the injured, he being one of them. Each day in the saddle had been a painful experience for Maleth. When Eomer saw him enter his heart quickened.

"Maleth…it is good to see you."

"Aye, and it is good to see you as well, my lord." Maleth did not make eye contact at first. Suddenly the man burst out. "I'm so sorry My Lord….So sorry…"

"What is it Maleth? What has happened?" Eomer's heart raced and despite the pain in his shoulder and back he sat up and made to get out of bed. "Where is Ari?"

"She's---She's gone sir." Maleth shook his head and raised tear filled eyes to his lord. "She was taken by the creatures into Lorien Woods…."

"And you didn't go after her?" Eomer thundered at the man standing before him.

"Sir, few of the men came away unscathed….we had to return…we need reinforcements and time to heal." Maleth limped forward and for the first time Eomer realized the man was injured. He watched as Maleth grimaced and knelt slowly beside him. "We need King Aragorn's help….Eldarion is also in those woods. Please, forgive me?" Maleth asked bowing his head. Eomer put his hand on Maleths bent gray head.

"I forgive you. Get yourself some rest. We must get word to Aragorn immediately."

"Do we have weapons?" It was late…moonlight filtered through the grate high in Ari's and Stranger's cell.

"I have a small boot dagger that none of them found." The man produced it. "Not much of a weapon, but a tool."

"And my screwdrivers and lots and lots of chain…."

"Aye…." Silver light fell over Ari's face crossed by heavy black lattice worked stripes. "What is out that window?"

"I don't know…I can't climb walls."

"Well…tomorrow we find out."


	9. Revelation

Eomer and his men returned to Rohan as quickly as possible and sent word to King Aragorn that they knew where Eldarion was being held, but needed better numbers to retrieve him. They told of the mysterious creatures, of the machine in Fanghorn but made no mention of Ari's capture; there was no need to worry the king further.

Eowyn found Eomer standing on the steps of Meduseld late one night staring at the stars.

"She will be alright. She is strong."

"Maleth said she was probably hurt…that the horse she was riding was skittish and trampled her." Eomer's voice was heavy and when he turned to face his sister she saw the un-shed tears held in his eyes. "What if she is dead?"

"What does your heart tell you?" Eowyn took her brother's arm and placed a hand on his cheek. He was a few years older than her, but she was now the elder of the two….she had aged twenty years when he'd gained only two and with those years came the knowledge and power of faith.

"It tells me that she is alive." Eomer whispered and looked back onto the city below him. "But I do not think she has long. I worry for her so."

"As do I brother." Eowyn sighed remembering her friend. "As do I."

"Boost me up." Ari said as she stood below the grate and looked up at it.

"We tried this before and you only served to get hurt more." Stranger said "Must we try again?"

"Yes. We must try until I can get up there." She said turning to face him. "I'm stubborn, you'll have to wrap your brain around that one."

"It would be better if you rested and tried when you were fully better---" Ari grasped Stranger by the collar of his shirt and thrust him against the wall.

"I won't get better unless I get out of here. You said so yourself…I've got a couple broken ribs and without some SERIOUS medical care, I won't get better." Even the brief amount of exertion used in threatening the man made Ari breath heavily. "Now you'll boost me up to that grate and we're gonna get it today." Stranger acquiesced and helped Ari climb up the slick wall until she could grasp the grate with her hands. "I got it!" It took all that Ari had in her to overcome the pain in her side and heave herself up to the window. What she saw wasn't a relief. She could see the wide forests of Lorien all around her, but couldn't see the mountains. She assumed the mountains would be at her back. Nothing moved below her. Everything seemed abandoned. The tiny grate was bolted deep into the stones. It was as if someone had built the wall around the grate. She slithered back down the wall and into Stranger's arms.

"What did you see?"

"Lorien, an abandoned courtyard, and that short of dynamite or plastique explosives we're not going to get that grate gone." Ari sat down heavily and took several deep breaths.

"What do we do then?" Stranger had long given up trying to understand all the things Ari spoke of. He'd gotten a headache listening to her cuss herself blue in the face as most words he'd never heard even uttered from a dwarf's mouth.

"I'm working on it." Ari said staring intently at the door.

"My Lord Eomer….horses come from Gondor." The guard burst into the room where Eomer, Faramir and several council members were conversing. Eomer rushed from the room and was first to greet the riders who had come from Gondor. Aragorn rode at the head of the column and he dismounted quickly.

"You saw Eldarion? You saw my son?" He asked animatedly as he clasped Eomer's shoulders.

"Nay….But Ari did."

"Where is she then?"

"With him I hope." Eomer said sadly. "Come…we will talk inside."

It had been days since Ari had seen outside. It had been days since she'd done anything but stare intently at the door. Stranger's attempts at conversation were for naught as she had no interest in conversing.

"There has to be a way in that door."

"Well of course there is, they brought us in through that door."

Night had fallen and Stranger and Ari were sitting against the wall in the dark. After Ari had tripped over him one night on her way to relieve herself they'd taken to sleeping nearer one another. The fall had laid Ari up for another three days.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Stranger asked.

"I think they do. Well, they at least know I was taken." Ari paused for a long moment. Did she know that for sure? Or had everyone died on the field? "Unless they were all killed….they know I'm here."

"What were the Rohirrim doing out here?"

"We were looking for the creatures….I went crazy with rage…they shot at Eomer…he's laid up at Isengard right now….I think." For the first time Ari realized she didn't know anything. _Where were Maleth and the men? Where was Eomer? Was he still alive? Who were the creatures? Could they get out? And, if nothing else, could they get back to Rohan?_

"Eomer?"

"Yeah." Ari answered absently.

"Named for the horse lord of Rohan no doubt."

"He is the horse lord of Rohan." Ari said indignantly. "He was Marshall of the Riddermark."

"But….but he disappeared, years ago…before I was born. He must be named after him…besides…Eomer would be approaching forty or fifty were he still alive." Ari felt Stranger shift.

"Nope….he's the one and only Eomer." Ari sighed as she leaned back. "I do worry for him though."

"My father used to tell stories of Lord Eomer of Rohan. How he was one of the bravest fighters of the race of man." Stranger tried to pick out Ari's features in the gloom. "How he fell deeply in love with a warrior woman and disappeared to follow her back to her people."

"I suppose that's how some people would tell it." Ari laughed.

"'Some people'?" Stranger huffed and moved away from the wall. "Be careful how you speak about 'some people'."

"Chill out Stranger." Ari said as she closed her eyes. "I told you before it was a complicated story."

"Stranger?"

"Well, it's not like at any time in the past two weeks you've told me your name." Ari said feeling her anger rising. She too rose and stood toe to toe with the man before her. "For all I know you're some spy they put in here to watch me. So, I'm calling you exactly what you are….STRANGER!"

Ari watched his silhouette as his shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry. I did not want to tell you my name until I was sure you too were not a spy."

"You think I'm a spy?" Ari was shocked. "Me, a spy? With a couple broken ribs and no way to get in or out…right, I'm the spy."

"Well it's not as if I've gone in and out!" Stranger shouted at her.

"How would I know? I was knocked out for five days!"

"You were unconscious for five days!" Stranger countered. "And that's no one's fault but your own!"

"Well you're right about that at least." ARi sat back down, holding onto her tender side. "Look, I'm tired…we'll discuss this later."

"We'll discuss it now." Stranger said turning on her. "What were you doing with a band of Rohirrim? You're obviously not of that race."

"Looking for the men—creatures who shot Eomer."

"If your Eomer truly is the one of legend, what are you doing with him?"

"Well…the short answer is we're lovers. The long answer is that we were brought back here and were called to help hunt for King Aragorn's son, Eldarion. We went into Fangorn on a whim and while inside we were attacked by the creatures and they shot Eomer. He was in a lot of pain—I had the injured men of our unit take him to Isengard. The rest of us went to the woods of Lothlorian after I found a Mallorn leaf on one of the creatures. I was so angry that I didn't think to call for more aid from Rohan. When we got to the forests edge we saw a man who was riding away from a band of the creatures. It was….well I thought it was Eldarion." Ari looked back at the shadowy figure that was stranger. "I heard the horn of Gondor and assumed it was Eldarion…I don't know. Man, Aragorn is gonna be pissed when I get out of here and go back without his son."

"You take an awful lot of familiarities." Stranger's voice seemed laced with amusement.

"Well, I mean, I did meet Aragorn before he was King…I was at his coronation." Ari grinned, her teeth flashing brilliantly in the pale moonlight. "Now that was a fun night."

"How could you be at his coronation?" Stranger asked. "You can't be older than me and I was born but a year after that."

"Again, complicated….after some…..odd events in Gondor, the wizard Gandalf told Eomer and I that because I was still in Middle Earth that everything was out of whack."

"You knew Gandalf?"

"Can I finish?" Stranger sat back down beside Ari and listened intently as she continued. "So I went back and Eomer followed, because the only thing he wanted from Aragorn in return for defending all of Middle Earth was to be closer to me…so we returned to my world. But in my world, only two years have passed, where here; ten times as many have gone by. Time passes differently in my world."

"So you came back here and went to the King to volunteer your services?"

"He sent messengers to Rohan and we went as emissaries with King Faramir. We just took up the task because it seemed to make sense….like, that's what we were called back to do." Silence filled the air between them and Ari thought about what Eomer might be doing at that time.

"Well…I guess all there is to do now is to get out of here."

"Well, I guess." Ari answered. "But it would be nice if I knew who I was working with and who to thank for helping me…..I mean, I guess I'd rather not call you Stranger all the time."

"I suppose that would be wise." Ari saw Stranger's teeth flash in the sparse light of the cell.

"Let's start over. I'm Eldarion."

_A/N: I really do like reviews. Don't be shy---let me know if this is sucking...or if you're really digging it. One way or the other, my mailbox is feeling lonely so fill it up with reviews!_


	10. Prepare

"We know the spot that she was taken into Lorian. And we're pretty sure that it was Eldarion that was taken in before her." Maleth said from his spot beside the map of Middle Earth that hung in the war room of Meduseld. Eomer, Aragorn, Faramir and Eowyn sat at the table before it and listened as Maleth related what was known.

"We will take in three regiments of horse and five of foot troops. We will march on Lorian and Fangorn and find out what is going on in there." Aragorn stated. "I want my son back, and I want to know what these creatures are."

"Lady Arianna believed they were the product of Urukhai and humans."

"How is that possible?" Eomer asked. "I thought all of the Urukhai were destroyed with the fall of Sauron."

"Nay, the wizard Saruman created some and turned them loose before he disappeared somewhere in the north." Aragorn sighed. "The last word we had of him, he was in the Shire."

The door to the chamber banged open and two figures strode through the door.

"But we turned him out, didn't we Pip?"

"Right you are Merry."

"Merriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took!" Eowyn chided. "You are interrupting important business good sirs."

"They never could stay away, how did you find out about this?" Aragorn asked, fighting to keep the smile off his face.

"Well…we were bored with Shire affairs and decided to take a little turn out on the country side." Merry said.

"And then we just rode farther and farther and farther and suddenly we were here." Pippin finished.

"Well, then perhaps you can help us."

"Eldarion?" Ari approached the door and waited for the man—who she was finding hard to think of as the Prince of Gondor—to join her. "Let me see your knife." Eldarion handed her the small blade and stood back as she went to work.

She had redoubled her escape efforts after finding out that Stranger was indeed Eldarion. This was her mission. She had to get him out if nothing else and away from this place. He could not be permitted to risk his life and endanger the line of Gondor and the rule of men.

She crouched at the door and worked the blade into the bolt on the side of the door. She had to cut through a layer of fungus and grime to the pin in the hinge. She rocked back and sat on her ass and breathed heavily. She couldn't believe such little exertion could wind her so greatly. It actually wasn't the exertion, it was the position with her abdomen cramped up under her battered rib cage.

"I think we can get out this way." Ari said looking at the big door. "We'll take the bolts out of the hinges and open the door to this side…"

"Do you think it will work?"

"It works in the movies." Ari said shrugging. She went back to work for a little while wiggling the knife under the bolt in the door until Eldarion warned her to come away.

"They'll come with lunch soon." Ari sat down on her stone bench and waited as the tray came sliding through the door.

"Didn't any one tell you sons of bitches how to cook properly, I mean…this slop isn't fit for an orc!" Ari was disappointed not to have gotten a reaction from their guards. After they had finished eating Ari went back to work on the door.

"Why did you yell at them?" Eldarion asked as Arianna sat wiggling the pin out of the hinge.

"What?"

"The creatures outside….why did you yell at them?"

"Oh, habit….I was HORRIBLE when I was incarcerated in Rohan." Ari looked up quickly. "Oh….guess I didn't mention that."

"You're---you're a criminal?"

"No no no…you see, I found myself here—in Middle Earth—Rohan-- quite by accident….then when Maleth and his men found me I was taken to King Theoden." She laughed. "His lackey, Wormtongue had me imprisoned because he believed I was a spy. So I harassed the living shit out of the guards because in Rohan the guards prowl in front of the cells. So I used to just sit there and make fun of them to no end because it was sort of fun. I tried to tunnel out, but they caught me before I got real far with the project." She saw the look on Eldarion's face. "That wasn't an option here…the stones are too close together to pry up…I already checked. Anyway, it was while I was in prison that I learned to pick locks…..I scared myself the first time I did it…then I tried to make a run for it." She stopped working on the hinge and looked at the moldy wall beside the door. "Eomer helped me escape---I thought I'd die in that prison…that I'd lost my mind…but then he came through the darkness and brought me out." She turned to face Eldarion. "He saved my life—he saved my life more than once."

"Are you sure you DIDN'T lose your mind in that prison?"

"Eomer asks the same questions sometimes….and no, I'm not sure…." She grinned at the shocked man behind her. "I'm kidding dude…." The pin wouldn't budge more than an inch from its secure spot in the hinge. Ari whacked it with her palm and regretted the decision when it began to throb, a big welt spreading across the heel of her hand.

It took Ari three days to move the first pin out of the door. She'd awakened one morning with a string of spit sliding down the side of her mouth. She'd wiped it away hoping Eldarion wasn't awake to notice it. She sat up slowly and wiped at the crud on her face. Then it dawned on her….

"_Can we blow up my soccer ball now? Please Daddy?" _

"_Sure sweety…let me go get the pump." Ari's dad had retrieved the ball pump from the garage and returned with something sticking out of his mouth._

"_What's that daddy?"_

"_It's the needle to inflate the ball…see?"_

"_Why'd you put it in your mouth?"_

"_You can't put it in the ball dry…it needs to be wet so it slides in without ripping the lining of your ball."_

"Spit is a natural lubricant." Ari said. She waited for breakfast and then summoned as much spit as she could in her mouth and hawked the biggest loogie she could on the hinge.

"What are you doing? That's disgusting!"

"Spit is a natural lubricant." Ari repeated. "I should have thought of it sooner. It is disgusting though…but we have to do what we have to do." Just before the lunchtime meal was brought to them Ari triumphantly held up the first of the pins.

"If it takes you that long with the other two…we'll be out of here in ten days." Eldarion said casually.

"It won't take me three days now that I know what I'm doing." The next bolt, in the middle of the door was out in twenty four hours. It was the third, top hinge that posed the biggest problem. Ari couldn't reach her arms over her head for long periods of time and she certainly couldn't spit that high. Eldarion had to help her.

It took him two days to get the pin out of the door, of which most of the time was spent on Ari convincing him to spit on the hinge. She eventually succeeded and the pin slid out and into his palm on the afternoon of the second day. He turned, staring at it.

"Now what, they'll be here soon with lunch?"

"We wait til after…." Ari said grinning happily.

"Master Merriadoc….how fare you?" Eomer asked of the Hobbit as the large troop of men rode towards the one time haven of the elves. "What news of the shire folk?"

"We are well….Frodo and Bilbo went with the elves several years ago and Samwise is now mayor of the Shire, if you can believe that."

"Father of a passel of Hobbits---how many does he have now, Merry?"

"Thirteen---and Rosie'd have it no other way, I can assure you."

"They all live at Bag End….Shire does right well under Sam's eye." The Hobbits conversed with Eomer for some time until they reached Helm's deep which was to be their camping place.

"I will not stay behind."

"And if something happens to the both of us? Who will care for the children?"

"She is my friend….my dearest of friends….I can not let her languish in that prison…" Eomer stepped through the door into the inner sanctum of the hall at Helm's deep. Eowyn's face was filled with passion and anger as she argued with her husband. "I refuse to be kept behind merely because I am a woman."

"You must stay behind because you are Queen."

"Yet, KING of Rohan, you are allowed to venture forth?"

"Aye, 'tis my duty." Eomer cleared his throat and brought the attention of his sister and brother in law to him.

"Sister, Brother….I do not believe it wise for either of you to venture forth." Eomer turned to Eowyn. "But Faramir is right….you are a mother and Queen of Rohan…you must not put yourself in danger for Ari." Eowyn made to object but Eomer raised his hand to stop her. "Knowing Ari she's probably pissed off many of the guards and has managed to get herself injured somehow." He smiled briefly remembering what Ari had been like when she'd first arrived in Rohan and the stories the guards had told about her. "If what Maleth said is true, she's probably in a great deal of pain from being trampled….we need you hear to make poultices and prepare the healing halls for her---and any others that may fall in this mission."

"I don't care to admit it….but you're right." She said begrudgingly. "I have not ridden out in many years….since before Arianelle's birth….I would be more of a hindrance….but I want to be there for Ari…"

"You'll be able to help her here."

Two days later the army set out from Helm's deep for the woods of Lorien and Eowyn remained behind helping the women of the court prepare for the injured to return.

Ari and Eldarion waited until they'd finished their meal and then assessed what was available to them. Eldarion's small knife was bent and scraped from being used to dig the pins out of the door. They had rocks, long lengths of chains and Ari had managed to wrench an old sconce off the wall and sharpen the end of it.

"Alright, so do you know how to get out of here?"

"Roughly." Eldarion said. "We're on the level below where I was held last time….there is a set of stairs to the left that will lead up." He sketched out a map on the floor of their cell with his knife into the soft stone. "We have to go up to this level and then go down the set of stairs over here. Then it's down a spiral stair and out to the stables through this door here."

"Let's do it then."

Eomer, Faramir and Aragorn sat atop the canyon top. The signs of battle were still visible from where they sat….spears were broken off into the ground and a burn mark indicated where the carcasses of the creatures had been burned.

"Lady Ari was taken in over there….near that shorter mallorn tree." Maleth indicated.

"We need a plan of action." Faramir said. "How do we proceed my king?"

"Carefully."

Ari and Eldarion decided to wait for dark to fall before making their escape. They napped through the afternoon and waited for the silver moonlight to flood their cell.

Eldarion pried the door away from the jam and swung it into their cell….the door scraping ominously loud against the stone floor.

"Quiet!"

"The door is heavy, sorry." Ari and Eldarion made their way to the staircase and up to the next level, then down the long corridor to the opposite stair.

"It's a spiral stair case…how so we know there's not going to be someone on it?"

"We don't…but it's the chance we must take." ELdarion and Ari edged their way down the stairs carefully, wary of anyone approaching or following them down. Eventually they stepped out into another corridor and Eldarion stopped and looked around.

"Are we lost?"

"I don't think so. I just forgot about this…." Eldarion proceeded to the end of the hall but found no stairway. They were going to double back and go back up the stairs when they heard someone coming. Ari and ELdarion hid behind pillars and waited as a lone creature came into view. It began sniffing around the pillar Ari was standing behind. She held tightly to the sharpened piece of metal in her hand and waited for it to make its move. When it made to lunge at her she pinned the creature to the ground and threatened it with her paltry implement of destruction.

"Now, you're going to tell me how to get out of here--right now, or I'll kill you." Ari said. The creature struggled beneath her. It was smaller than any other she'd met.

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm bigger than you…" Ari started to bring her weapon to bear on the creature but it suddenly spoke.

"Second door on the left…up the stairs to the floor above us….." Ari stabbed the mini-pike through the creature's shoulder, leapt up and kicked the creature in the head rendering it unconscious.

"Come on!" Eldarion grasped Ari's hand and led her up the stairs.

"Wait….I can't breathe." Ari wheezed as they sprinted up the stairs. Pain rippled through her side and she felt as if her chest were on fire. "Stop!"

"We can't, do you hear that?" Ari listened to something besides the annoying voice in her head that had been yelling at her to stop and heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up behind them. They broke out onto the courtyard and made a bee-line for the stables. "The stables are down this path…let's go!" Eldarion and Ari managed to find the stables but there was only one horse inside. They didn't even bother to saddle the horse but pulled it outside and through the woods.

It had taken them so long to get out of the dungeon that the sun was just coming up to kiss the snow capped peaks of the Misty Mountains. In the blue green light of early morning Ari stopped Eldarion and leaned against one of the big Mallorn trees.

"You have to get on that horse and ride as fast as you can to Isengard…..from there you can get help back to here."

"No, you take the horse, you're hurt."

"Bloody hell I won't…." Ari ground out. "I wouldn't make it far at all…I can't ride like this….but I can be a diversion."

"I cannot permit it."

"Dammit Eldarion!" Ari grasped him by the collar and thrust him towards a different tree. It took all her strength to do so. "I said you'll get on that fucking horse and you will…if I have to knock your ass out and throw you up there, I will make sure you are on that horse. Now, quit being a gentleman and go!"


	11. Flight

The sun rose over the horizon and set the entire forest of Lorien alight, the snow capped peaks in the distance sparkled with the reflected light.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it m'lord?" Eomer looked down to see where Merry was standing beside him munching on an apple.

"Aye….it is indeed beautiful."

"We'll find her, Eomer….don't you be worrying about that." Merry said seriously. Eomer looked at the Halfling beside him and tilted his head.

"I know you're worried for her…if my wife were kidnapped…I'd be in the same straights as you." Merry threw the apple core over his shoulder and looked into the woods. "Let's get ready to go then, shall we?"

"Aye…let us go."

Ari watched as Eldarion mounted the nag they'd taken from the stables.

"I'll bring help back for you. Try to get to the river….you can use it to screen your movements and I'll have my father send help up the river for you. I swear it!"

"You just better get out of here!" Ari said as she heard a horn in the distance. "Go!" She swatted the horses flank fiercely and watched as Eldarion rode away from her. She took a few moments to catch her breath and her bearings and then started to move as fast as she could in the direction of the river.

A heavy mist had settled amongst the trunks of the great trees and to Ari it was like walking through a dream. She could hear the creatures moving everywhere around her as sound echoed in the dense fog. As the sun rose higher in the sky the fog began to burn off and thin. Ari hoped she wasn't walking side by side with the creatures as that would make her life suck. A loud crack behind her made her dart behind a fat mallorn tree and look behind her. She could just make out shapes moving amongst the trees hunting for the tracks that just weren't there.

"We should follow the horse tracks….we'll find the girl and can hold her ransom. The prince we will not find easily." She heard one bellow. "She is hurt and will probably fall off that nag."

"I think the prince is on that horse." Another said. "The prince would leave deeper tracks---we'd be able to follow him were he on foot."

"Maybe they're both on the horse."

"That nag wouldn't carry both their weights." The second one said. "She was hurt, but she still had a significant bit of weight to her."

"You stupid son of a bitch! Are you saying I'm fat?" Ari shouted stepping out from her hiding spot.

"Get her!"

Ari started to run, ignoring everything; pain, nausea, the sound of the creatures coming up behind her. She had to run…she had to keep them off Eldarion's trail.

The army struck camp and assembled on the big field before the woods of Lorien. Aragorn and Eomer split the men up and sent them into the woods in waves looking for anything that might possibly lead them to Ari and Eldarion. A section of the first wave came back thirty minutes into the hunt with the now twice fractured horn of Gondor.

"I had it repaired after I began my reign over men." Aragorn said holding the horn in his hands. "I gave it to Eldarion on his tenth birthday…he'd not let it idly fall."

"Then he too is in those woods…and we shall find him." Pippin said starting out with the second wave.

Ari had put a significant bit of ground between her and the creatures. She had heard several of them break off to her left and had changed directions and moved around to her right. She stopped and leaned against a tree and retched violently. Her chest felt as if it were clamped in a vice and her breaths were high pitched and wheezy. She staggered to the base of another tree and sat heavily amongst its gnarled roots. She needed time and rest…she needed time more than rest.

By nightfall half the army was within the woods of Lorien. They established camps with large watches set up and torches set all around them. Several men found the talans once used by the elves and their camps were high above the forest floor in the relative safety of the canopy. Word was sent back to Aragorn and Eomer and they too joined one of the camps in the canopy. Everyone waited with baited breath for the dawn to return.

Ari awoke to the sound of a wolf howling in the distance. She'd slept until nightfall….well past nightfall if the lack of a moon was any indication to her. She got up and carefully began moving again. She wasn't sure what direction to go but moving had to be better than sitting still and waiting for the creatures to come and find her.

"Three camps were attacked in the night…they fought them off, but already there are wounded." The messenger's back was ramrod straight as he reported to the King of Gondor, the King of Rohan, and the former Marshall of the Riddermark. These men were the stuff that children's bedtime stories were made of---they were stories he'd grown up listening to.

"Have a patrol of men take the wounded back to Helm's deep. If they cannot make the trip, set up a field hospital at the edge of the woods." Aragorn said. The man left quickly and descended the ladder to carry out his Kings' orders. Eomer followed the boy down and led a group of men deeper into the woods….he would find Ari…he had to.

Ari's progress was slowed by her injury but she knew she must hurry. Something big was moving closer and closer to her in the deep woods. The trees shuddered with it and the wind sighed. The sun had just touched through to the canopy floor and Ari climbed as best she could up a shallow rise. Somewhere along her back trail she'd felt the muscle in her thigh rip. She staggered and stumbled and limped along. This was far from her idea of fun. When she looked out below her she could see large shapes moving slowly through the trees. A line of 'skirmishers' beat at the bushes and sent small woodland creatures scurrying and birds wheeling above the canopy. Behind the skirmishers were larger shapes….shapes Ari thought she'd never see the likes of. Large and furry, they were like the SUV monsters from TV commercials back home. It was as if someone had bred a strange form of highland cattle with wooly mammoths and dogs.

She was looking at Wargs…..and they were coming her way.

Ari didn't get much farther when she noticed more wargs were coming her way from her right. She changed her direction of travel again and moved as stealthily as she could. In what she thought was a stroke of luck she stumbled upon a shallow stream bed and slipped quickly down the sandy bank. She was able to move quickly across the sandy bottom as it was not filled with water. Her movements were quick and her breath slowed as her mind lulled her into a sense of peace…she'd get out…she'd make it to the river. She moved faster up the streambed---right into one of her pursuers.

Aragorn waited in the talan until the rear guard came up through the trees and he joined them. His heart became heavy with worry with each passing hour and no word of his son.

Faramir was in the middle maintaining an orderly line and ensuring his men did not come upon anything strange in these woods. It was somewhere in these woods that he believed his brother had fallen. Faramir only hoped that Ari and Eldarion would not join him.

Eomer was in the lead listening to the sounds of the men moving through the woods. Woods once thought to be enchanted by an elf witch. Armor clinked and harness screeched and clacked as men and horse moved through the underbrush. The waiting was getting on his nerves…..where was Ari? Where had the creatures taken her?

Ari screamed and staggered back from her pursuer who lunged at her. She dodged his lunge and hobbled in the direction from which she'd just come. Scrambling out of the wash and up over the slanted ground her footing slipped on the damp leaves and she fell and rolled violently down the hill on the other side of the near cliff she'd just managed to climb. She bounced off tree roots and through bushes and over the jagged rocks of the soil of middle earth. When she came to a stop she was sure she'd done more damage to herself. Running was near impossible now and her chest burned and prickled with every breath she took. Her flight from her pursuers was now a staggering injured scurry—like that of a wounded animal fleeing the hunter, trying to avoid the kill. She looked behind her and saw a series of Uruk-human hybrids and two wargs ridden by the hideous creatures. Ari ran as fast as she could, she could hear the wargs barrel down the hill behind her…felt the ground shudder beneath her as they closed the gap. She could smell the odor of wet dog, rancid spit and blood. The breathing of the dogs got louder and louder in her ears until with a scream she was swatted off her feet and flung into a large tree trunk. She tried to crawl away, fear clutching at her heart as she was suddenly pinned by a large paw on her back. She could feel the breath on her neck and smelled the putrid stench.

"_So this is what dying feels like."_ Ari thought as she felt spittle drip onto the back of her neck and heard the creature growl ominously.

"Rider Approaching!' Eomer looked up from the message he'd been writing to Faramir. Aragorn was on his way up in the lines. He wanted to be on the front lines when they found his son.

"Is it Aragorn?" He asked the man who had run up with the alert.

"Nay sir….he comes from our front." Eomer dropped the pad he'd been writing on and moved quickly to the front line of men who had all moved into battle ready position along the crest of the low hill. A man on a gray nag moved slowly through the trees. He looked left and right and urged the horse farther forward. Eomer signaled silently to his men and they moved stealthily to surround the man on horse back.

"Halt! Identify yourself!" Eomer shouted as the man drew within ear shot. The unknown rider pulled up the horse beneath him and looked through the trees trying to find the source of the voice.

"I am Eldarion, son of Aragorn, King of Gondor!" The voice rang back through the trees. "Who is before me?"


	12. In Dreams

Eldarion was welcomed into the camps quickly and given food and water.

"Where is Ari?" Eomer said as the boy ate quickly. "What of her?"

"She remained behind….she would not join me on the horse…although with as many times as that old nag stumbled it's a wonder I made it this far."

"What do you mean she remained behind?" Eomer tried to control his fear and anger but found it difficult.

"She was going to act as a diversion….who are you?"

"I am Eomer."

"You!" Eldarion nearly choked on the bit of bread he was eating. "I did not believe what she said was true…I thought her crazy…that the horse that had trampled her had given her a great deal of mental trouble as well…."

"Is she alright? How badly is she hurt?" Eomer tightened his grip on the young man's shoulders. If Ari would not ride out with Eldarion then she must either be very hurt indeed or more stubborn than he thought.

"I do not know." Eldarion answered. "She was indeed hurt, she could hardly keep up with me as we ran. But she said she was going to remain behind and act as a diversion. She was most forceful in her opinion that I should leave. Nearly threw me through a Mallorn tree." Eldarion shrugged. "I wish she had not stayed. I fear she is much more injured for it that she might have let on."

"Pull those things away!" The breath on Ari's neck immediately disappeared and she was rolled over roughly with the hard metal toe of a boot. "She is to be returned alive." She looked up into the twisted face of one of the 'Urukhumans'. The creature above her smiled as it was joined by another.

"She's a lively one this one is….his lordship will have great fun with her."

"Aye….let's get her back to the fortress." She was too weak to even fight as the creatures roughly bound her wrists and ankles with heavy leather straps. "First, where's your friend?"

"Who?" Ari rasped out as the creature looked down into her eyes.

"Your friend…the Prince Eldarion."

"Eldarion…Eldarion….about 6'4, brown hair, silver eyes? Sort of rugged?"

"Aye."

"Never met him…"

"Do not play games with me girl!" The creature pulled her up by the collar and breathed into her face. Ari did her best not to gag. "WHERE IS HE?"

"If he were up your ass kicking footballs you'd know where he was." That was the last thing Ari remembered saying before she was struck unconscious by the creature above her.

"Where is he? Where is my son?" Aragorn arrived in Aragorn's camp just before sunset. A messenger sent to him had speeded his progress. He dismounted quickly and asked his questions of the first man he saw.

"My Lord, the prince is…"

"Father!"

Father and son rushed into one another's arms and embraced. Neither said a word for some time. Everyone moved away and gave them their space.

"I had thought I'd never again see you whole." Aragorn said when he found his voice. Eldarion shook his head.

"I did not mean to cause you so much worry. I only meant to go find the old stomping grounds of the rangers of the North." Eldarion said leading his father to a place beside the fires where they could sit and talk. "I wished to see if there were any left of that tribe….I was captured on my way through Fangorn and kept in a keep, I knew not where. I made an escape and found myself facing a band of Rohirrim. At first I didn't know if they were friend or foe….but then they came to aid when I blew the horn." Eldarion brought his eyes to meet his father's. "They grabbed me and---I lost the horn father…."

"That is the least of my concerns Eldarion." Aragorn said smiling. "What matters is that you are safe."

"I am—thanks to Ari." Aragorn looked at his son sternly.

"Where is lady Ari….she was rumored to have been grievously injured."

"She remained behind. Eomer is deeply worried for her. Father, is it true he is the same Eomer of who you used to tell me stories?"

"Aye he is the same man. I am glad that he is with us." Aragorn looked into the darkness but could not discern Eomer from the other men."Where is Eomer?" Eldarion gestured into the blackness that was the trees and Aragorn moved cautiously into them until he found the man leaning against a tree and staring morosely into the distance. "She is not in the woods?"

Eomer turned his attention quickly to the king of men.

"Eldarion said she remained behind to act as a diversion." He shook his head. "He said she was injured…"

"We will continue the search until she is returned to our ranks." Aragorn said grasping the despairing man's shoulders. "You hunted for my son…now I will hunt for your love."

Ari awoke to someone stroking her cheek. She felt as if someone had beaten her with a bat.

_A great big metal bat. _

She'd felt like this only a few times in her life…after getting clobbered playing soccer or the first time she'd fallen from a horse.

"_Or after they started having me beaten in the prison…"_

"Eomer?" She fought to open her eyes but could make out little in the heavily shadowed room.

"No." The hand was quickly removed from her face and the figure that had been looming over her stepped away. Ari could barely move her head to follow the movement of the person.

"Where am I?" She could taste dried blood in her mouth and the acidic taste of vomit. She felt dirty….

"That is of no concern to you." Ari's only consolation was that the voice was not Eldarion's, however that was little consolation considering she didn't know whose voice it was. "We shall wait for morning and question you then." The figure moved away and exited the room.

The whole night Ari slept not a wink. She stared at the darkness where the ceiling was supposed to be. She assumed she was back in the fortress where she'd been held before. But beyond that she didn't know what was going on. Pain coursed through her body and though she tried to relax, every breath and every beat of her heart brought a ripple of pain throughout her relaxed body. A window off to her right let in the soft pale gray light of dawn and she shuddered with the coldness of it. How she wished she was elsewhere…anywhere but in this cell. She wished that Eomer were there, that he would just hold her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright, that she would live and that they'd go back and get married and start their equestrian academy.

But as far as she could see it, the future was bleak and didn't extend too far for her. As the suns rays stretched across the floor of the room she was in she allowed sleep to claim her briefly.

_Eomer opened his eyes and found himself reclined on a camp bed in the middle of the golden hall. He sat up slowly and wandered through the conspicuously empty halls and out the great heavy doors which stood open letting a soft breeze make its way through the building. Beside one of the great pillars stood a figure which made his heart stop._

"_Was it all just a dream?" He asked aloud. _

"_No, but this is." The voice was heart wrenchingly familiar. He moved quickly and took Ari into his arms holding her as tightly as he could…but he could feel neither the heat of her body nor the softness of the material of the flowing gown she wore._

"_Ari---." _

"_Shush…let me talk…I fear I don't have much time." She held her hand to his lips and looked into his eyes, so full of hope and happiness where hers were empty with sadness. "I don't think I have much longer….they've got me locked away."_

"_I'm coming to rescue you….don't let go yet." He said looking deep into her eyes, but where his were full of hope hers were dead and flat._

"_Everything hurts Eomer….I don't know how much longer I'm meant for this earth." A single tear slid down Ari's face. "If you are to come for me, you must come quickly….Eldarion left….he's in the woods of Lorien now and…"_

"_He's safe with us." Eomer smiled at her. "He's safe." He watched as Ari closed her eyes and smiled sadly. _

"_Then at least one of us made it." She opened her eyes and looked at him again. "Hurry…."_

Eomer sat up quickly and rushed from his tent. The suns rays were just beginning to break through the thick trees.

"Eomer?" Maleth stepped forward and watched as Eomer shook his head…his golden hair unruly from his brief, but restless sleep.

"She was in my dream Maleth….she's hurt." Eomer returned to his tent and donned his armor as quickly as he could. His shoulder was still tight with the scar from his wound but he was past the pain now. The only thing in his mind was Ari. When he emerged again, Maleth and two dozen Rohirrim horsemen were mounted and fully armored, the banner of Rohan snapped gaily in the morning breeze.

"We ride with you sir." Maleth said when he saw Eomer's puzzled look. "If lady Ari were in your dream then she must indeed be in trouble."

"Aye….we go to find her." Aragorn too was in full armor, the tree of Gondor on his chest in finely worked mithril. Eldarion behind him was armored similarly.

"She saved my life…I will return the courtesy…she's an amazing woman Eomer."

"Well you won't be going anywhere without us." Merry and Pippin came trotting on their small ponies also in full armor; one a steward of Gondor, the other a squire of Rohan.

"There's not a moment to lose, my friend." Aragorn said turning his horse. "Get your horse, we have little time."

Ari awoke but to find someone standing over her. In her dream Eomer had been holding her. She could have lived in that dream forever. She'd never tell Eomer that of course, but that didn't seem to matter much at the moment with someone staring at her. _Who is this pervert? What kind of whacko watches someone sleep?_

"My uncle is curious about you." The man was handsome. He was maybe a few years older than her or Eomer and had short cropped golden hair. His brown eyes shimmered darkly as he looked down on her. His skin was pale, made paler by the heavy black robes he wore. "Who are you? What is your name?" When Ari refused to answer the man cracked a malicious smile which bordered on a sneer. "Come, come….silence will get you no where….what is your name…?" One heavily gloved hand moved down over her arm and grasped her left wrist in it's powerful grasp. He pulled her arm up and tightened his grip on her arm.

"Ari!" Ari yelped as she was afraid the man would crush her wrist in his powerful grasp.

"Very good….." He left after asking several more questions and Ari was left alone until the door opened and a large, heavily hooded figure came in the room followed by the man from before.

"See uncle…."

"It cannot be her." The voice from inside the voluminous folds of midnight fabric rasped. "She would be significantly older."

"She said her name was Ari…"

"Indeed?" The black figure seemed to float on a gentle breeze as it moved towards her slowly. Ari heard the sound of metal clang and looked as a heavily gauntleted hand moved towards her. The cowl moved enough for her to see a helmeted head as the figure peered down on her. The rough metal brushed across her skin like sandpaper as the figure caressed her face. Icy coldness ripped through her as if the thing hovering over her were sucking the life out of her. "Are you Arianna Carver of Prestonville, Missouri?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"If you tell me, I shall make your death quick." The heavy hand suddenly moved to her already damaged ribs and started to press down. Ari gasped. "If you do not answer my questions you will be painfully tortured." More pressure came down on Ari's battered ribs and she grunted out an answer though she didn't want to. "What was that?" The figure reeled away as if Ari had burst into flame.

"Yes! My name is Arianna and I'm from Prestonville, Missouri…just don't do that anymore…please."

"How is it you have not aged?"

"Time moves differently in my world…..one tenth the rate it moves here."

"And Lord Eomer?"

_Who was this creep? How did he know so much?_

The hand moved with dizzying speed towards her throat and she coughed at the extinguished breath.

"Lord Eomer, witch….or I kill you now."

"Here." Ari rasped. The pressure was released and Ari gasped despite the pain.

"And he is where now?"

"I don't know." Instantly the pressure was back on her rib cage and a rough grasp on her face brought her eyes to look into the helmeted face above her where eyes ought to be.

"Where is he?"

"I told you I don't know!" Ari yelled back. A final rough shove to her rib cage and the figure backed away and stormed from the room. Ari waited for the door to slam shut before she began to sob her pain and frustration out. "I wouldn't tell you if I did….." She whispered to no one in particular.

Eldarion rode in the lead as he was the only one who knew where it was they were going.

"It took me two days to get anywhere near you." He said to Eomer and Aragorn who rode on either side of him. "Ari did a fine job distracting them from my path….I never once heard them come after me."

"She's good at what she does." Eomer said ruefully.

"What's that?"

"At making sure you notice her." Aragorn said. "She certainly stands out in a crowd." They were silent for some time, often having to dismount and lead the horses through the dense brush and down steep hills.

"We have to go farther West." Eldarion said looking around. "The fortress is closer to the mountains."

Ari was in the cell most of the day. She could see light outside her window still and guessed that the sun must be setting behind the Misty Mountains. Where was Eldarion? Where was Eomer? She'd had a dream that she'd talked to him at Medusaled. In the dream Eldarion had already found Eomer.

_If it were true, If Eldarion has found Eomer then it took ELdarion only two days to get to them……which means they are still a good day and a half from me at least._

The thought was discouraging…..one day had already passed…..but if the dream were merely her wishful thinking then her rescue was a good deal farther off. Just then the younger man came back into the room and looked down on her with cold eyes.

"You're very pretty…."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"It's a pity that we'll have to destroy you…." Ari's brow furrowed.

"Destroy me?" Ari kept her breathing slow, unwilling even in her vulnerable state to show fear. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"We have many ways." He grinned and held up a wizard's staff. His eyes went black suddenly and he touched the staff to Ari's left shoulder. Light emitted from the staff and Ari's whole body arched up off the table she'd been lying on….a scream like nothing she ever heard filled the air….it took her several moments to realize that the scream was hers.

Eldarion stopped his horse and looked around. It was growing dark and difficult to see. The sun sparkled off the tops of the misty mountains as it sank behind them.

"I can't see where to go….." Eldarion sighed loudly. "This seems right but what if I'm wrong?"

"We can stop for the night, Prince….it will do us no good if we are lost in these infernal woods." Maleth said. Eomer looked into the deep shadows, the silence of the woods pressing down on them.

Suddenly on a gust of wind came a keening wail like nothing any of riders had ever heard before. Horses stamped and moved against one another with the pain and fear contained in the scream. It echoed amongst the trees and passed over the riders like cold water.

"What is that?" Someone asked. Eomer's eyes were wide…

"It is Arianna…." Without a second thought Eomer spurred his horse onward and into the darkness enveloping them.

The men spurred their horses and followed the sound of the scream.


	13. Life and Death

Arianna's shoulder burned. She came into consciousness slowly and looked up as the heavily cloaked figure effortlessly flung the younger man across the room.

"Do you know what you have done? You have alerted them to where she is! You fool!"

"I only wanted to help, uncle." The man said standing with the help of the staff. "I wanted to make her talk."

"Foolish prat…your father would be ashamed of you." Ari looked at the cloaked figure. It seemed impossible….she'd seen the witch king die—killed by Eowyn. This was an exact duplicate, but she had thought all the ring wraiths killed when the Great Ring was destroyed 20 years ago. Could it be that one had survived and had taken up reign in the abandoned woods of Lorien? She quit thinking of anything as soon as the hooded figure turned towards her. "She won't speak now…won't tell us what we want to know….the secrets to long life…and youth."

"Then we should kill her now and send her body to Rohan."

"And have them burn the woods around us? Have them discover our plans to take over the world of men?" The cloaked figure—the wraith—turned back to Ari and looked down, seemingly thoughtful.

"What will we do? We cannot keep her." The young man asked finally rising to his feet.

"She will be of great use to us." A dry laugh escaped the creature and Ari felt a chill roll down her spine.

When the scream faded into the night the riders stopped. Eomer paced frantically just outside the firelight and ate little of what Maleth offered him. Eventually he stilled and stared darkly into the firelight.

"She will survive it, my lord."

"I don't think she will." Eomer's tone was flat. "I don't think she's still alive at all." No one said anything to the horse lord for the rest of the night.

With the first rays of morning they all mounted and began thundering in the direction they had headed in the night before. Eomer's heart was heavy with dread and fear. It felt as if a great stone had been set upon him and he was not strong enough to lift it.

Ari passed another sleepless night. She was sure that the hooded figure was coming up with something diabolical to do to her and use her against Eomer and Aragorn and Eldarion. She was fearful of how that something would scar her. Shortly before what she guessed was noon the young man came into the room followed by the wraith.

"Who are you people? What do you want with me?" She asked.

"Curious?" The hooded figure laughed. "You aren't in the best position to be asking questions."

"I'm going to die, aren't I? What's the harm in it." She hoped she was wrong…she didn't want to die--but it was worth a shot.

"She will discover soon enough who I am…..tell her who you are nephew."

"My name is Nargrim. I shall be known as Nargrim the Black when this is all said and done."

"A wizard?"

"But I thought the Ishtari left this world with the elves."

"Some did…..some grew so accustomed to the lives of mortal men that they took women to their beds…..others wanted the line of the Ishtari to survive the ages."

"Wow….so you're a bastard? Never would have guessed that." Ari said drily rolling her eyes. She saw Nargrim move and laughed as the other figure held him back. "Yep, only a bastard would lunge out and attack a helpless and defenseless woman."

"Shut your mouth, filthy whore!" Nargrim shouted. "Or I will shut it for you permanently!"

"Nargrim, my dearest nephew...she is right where we want her….remember our plan."

"I shall go prepare." Nargrim's eyes narrowed to dark slits. But he did not leave the room.

"Yes." The hooded figure rasped. He gestured once and three Uruk-humans came through the door and grabbed at Ari's limbs.

"No!" Ari struggled against the creatures trying to bind her hands out to the side and just above her head. The third creature bound her ankles together and lashed them to the foot of the table. Ari managed to land one good punch on one of the creatures before it grasped her hand and crushed her fingers together and successfully subdued the irate woman on the table. The creatures at her arms began cranking a wheel behind her head and brought her arms high above her. She was completely vulnerable to whatever Nargrim and the Wraith wanted to do to her.

"If you kill me….and they find me….you'll wish you'd never been born." She ground out. Nargrim's face was menacingly close.

"I do believe it is a pity to do this." The wraith huddled near the door and watched as Nargrim caressed Ari's uninjured side. She tensed despite the pain it caused her and glared daggers at the man as she struggled against her bonds. "Oh, don't be worried…we'll not hurt you." His smile was the coldest thing she'd ever seen. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Ari tried to wrench her head to the side but found it impossible to do—Nargrim was holding her to the kiss with his hand. She did the only thing she could think of and bit his lip. She tasted the blood and heard him cry out. He stepped back quickly and touched his fingers to his lip—they came away bloody.

"Don't you EVER try to do that again." Ari hissed. Nargrim's eyes flashed with anger and he struck Ari hard. Ari felt blood trickle into her mouth and knew it was hers this time. She licked at her bleeding lip and watched as Nargrim lowered his face to get close to hers again.

"You'll regret having done that—witch." Ari spit the blood she'd gathered in her mouth and smiled as it hit Nargrim just below his eye. He backed away and stalked from the room in a swirl of jet robes.

"yeah…I'll regret it later…but right now it was worth it." She relaxed and let her head hit the table. "ow."

When Nargrim returned he was holding a small vial of a glowing white liquid. He grasped her throat and pressed the vial to her lips.

"Drink it!" Ari tried to move away but couldn't the grip on her throat was so strong. She coughed as breathing became difficult and some of the liquid slipped down her throat. Nargrim, satisfied, stepped away and watched as Ari coughed and sputtered.

"It really only takes less than a thimble full getting into your blood stream to work." He said as he leaned casually against a pillar. "Your body will become numb starting at your extremities." Ari's hands had gone numb long ago but even as Nargrim spoke she was finding it difficult to feel even the pins and needles that had plagued her for the thirty minutes she figured she'd been laying there. "You'll lose the feeling in the rest of your body in another moment. You'll be completely paralyzed." Ari tried to tell him he was full of shit but couldn't force her lips to move or her voice to expel the words. "Your voice will catch in your throat and you'll choke on whatever expressions your vile tongue was going to spit at me." He laughed when he saw the fear penetrate her eyes. "Your breath will slow….your blood will congeal and you will--in essence—be dead." Ari realized that everything he'd been saying had come true. Her mind raced and in her head she realized she should have been hyperventilating. She couldn't even get the slightest ghost of a breath.

_I am dead!_

There was just one thing though---she was still very much alive.

"There! There's the fortress!" Eldarion said drawing his horse to a halt. He pointed through the trees to where the stone fortress rose up amongst the mallorn trees. Everyone pulled their horses to a halt and stared at the seemingly impenetrable fortress. "How should we proceed?"

"We proceed under the cover of darkness." Aragorn said turning his horse back in the direction from which they had come. "It will be best to have the element of surprise on our side—that and it will give us time to observe."

Ari lay in the room completely incapable of any motion. She watched as the sun dipped below the horizon and the world was covered in the deep, cool shades of night. Nargrim had left the room shortly after he was sure that the potion had taken it's affect on Ari. He'd left laughing something that had angered Ari but her fear was so consuming she couldn't acknowledge the anger at that moment. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but she'd long since given up trying to move. A single tear welled deep within her but even her tear ducts were completely paralyzed and she could not even summon the strength or the will to cry. Sadness turned to anger so fierce she tried to scream and cry out.

"_When this shit wears off I swear by all the holy powers that be that I will tear your fucking limbs off one by one and watch as you bleed to death you mother fucking cock sucking son of a bitch!" _

But no words came to her. She couldn't even shake or struggle against the bonds that still held her. Ari could see the moon rise into her window and the room was bathed in silver light.

Nargrim returned, the only thing visible was his head as everything else about him blended with the shadows. Nargrim's disembodied head loomed over her.

"I'm sure you've been trying to say all manner of vicious things. Failing are we?" His teeth flashed in the light. "My dear…they aren't coming. They saw the fortress and turned tail and ran." His hand caressed her side but she couldn't feel it. "You don't believe me? I saw them with my own two eyes…they rode away. They are as afraid as you are." He brushed a wayward strand of her black hair off her face and laughed. "They won't be able to save you now….now that you can't save yourself." Ari watched the long curved blade flash in the moonlight as he held the knife up. "You can't help yourself—can't prevent me from doing this. He slipped the blade along her arm. It felt like someone had run a dull pencil down her arm. Blood seeped slowly out of the deep wound, more like mud oozing from the earth than blood. Nargrim laughed maniacally and slid the blade over her right side in a shallow flick. "Oops---it slipped." He slipped the blade across her thigh lightly running his hand before the blade. "So strong…so much muscle---why don't you fight back?"

"**FIRE!"** The cry distracted Nargrim and a flaming torch lit the room. "My Lord…the woods are ablaze with light." Nargrim turned angry eyes back to Ari. Hers were full of hope and light.

"Impossible….they would not dare…" Nargrim shook his head and waved the torchbearer away but the light barely moved. "Perhaps they will get to see you….hmm….not like it will do you or them any good." Nargrim stabbed the knife into the table beside her and turned from the table. Ari was plunged back into blackness as the torch was taken out with Nargrim.

The men lit the line of torches in unison and rushed the walls of the mighty fortress. It took nothing for them to get in through the unguarded doors that Eldarion and Ari had escaped through. The fortress was less fortress and more façade than anything else. A single charge detonated in the wall blew a hole large enough for an entire regiment to move through the gap at a time. Obviously the fortress relied mainly on the fact that no one knew of its existence. Eomer and Eldarion moved through the corridors as quickly as possible until they reached the place where the spiral staircase twirled up into the darkness.

"Last time they held us up there." Eldarion said making to rush forward.

"You don't lead." Eomer said as he grasped Eldarion by the shoulder. "Stay behind me…" Eomer went up the stairs, sword drawn and held at the ready. When they reached the top they checked every room but found nothing.

"This is the cell we were held in last time." Eldarion said. Eomer looked in quickly at the cell and was shocked at its conditions. It was damp and dirty and Eomer's heart broke to think that Ari had languished inside with broken ribs.

"Where else might they have held her?" Eldarion did not speak but rushed into the hall and towards the stairs to the upper levels. Again they checked all the rooms and still found no sign of Ari.

Once again on the stairs they found themselves faced with half a dozen Uruk's. Eomer and Eldarion easily battled them back and were joined by Maleth in a lower hall.

"This way My Lord…they are coming up the stairs!" Maleth ran down the hall where it ran to a cross way. Eldarion was in front of Eomer and did not see the other man stop at the only open doorway in the hallway. "My Lord?" Maleth watched as Eomer stepped briefly into the room and looked into the darkness.

"Maleth bring me a torch." Eomer's voice echoed from the room. Maleth ripped the torch from the wall and motioned for two of the men to guard the door through which Eomer had just disappeared.

"Where's he going? What's he doing?" Eldarion asked as he followed Maleth into the room. The greasy orange light of the torch chased the shadows to the corners of the room and illuminated Ari's body.

"No—" Eomer rushed forward and looked into the eyes of the woman he loved. "Ari? ARI?" He pulled the knife from his belt and cut the ropes binding her wrists above her head and pulled them down to the side of her body before pulling the limp form into his arms. She was cold and unresponsive. Eomer pushed the hair from her face and looked into Ari's open eyes. "Why….? I told you I was coming for you…." He whispered. Maleth and Eldarion looked on, speechless as Eomer held Ari.

"Eomer….we can come back for her…right now we have to find my father…." The pain was so clearly written on Eomer's face that Eldarion could not bear to go on. The words stuck in his throat as he thought that this woman had died to protect him. He looked to Maleth and remained silent as the warrior said good bye to his woman.

"_Eomer! I'm alive! You dunderhead look! Look! My wounds are bleeding! Son of a monkey's uncle my leg is BLEEDING!"_ She tried to plead with her eyes to react or move but couldn't.

_Crap, my leg is bleeding faster than before…._

Eomer was so depressed and so deep within himself with shock that he did not notice Ari's wounds were indeed seeping with the slow deliberate beating of her heart. Slowly he lay her down and drew his sword. "_Eomer don't do anything stupid! Eomer!"_ She screamed but it all stayed within her…..he squared his broad shoulders and marched out of the room in which she lay.

"Come….we find whoever did this to her and I will slay him…then we'll come back for her."

"_What part of 'anything stupid' didn't you get?"_


	14. Plans of Darkness

Eomer, Maleth and Eldarion left the room and Ari's body behind them. They made sure Eomer was behind them at all times, with two guards behind; he was still lost in a fog of grief and they were in greater fear of something coming from their front than from the rear.

"Have you found Ari?" Aragorn asked as their two groups met. Eldarion took Aragorn aside as Eomer was still in shock.

"She is dead….they killed her…and as far as we can tell, they tortured her before they did it."

"Eomer knows this?"

"Eomer found her body." Eldarion said softly. "It's all my fault…I should have forced her to get on the horse with me."

"No---do not think that way." Aragorn said instantly. "She knew what she was doing." Aragorn went to Eomer. "Eomer….we will burry her in a place of high honor…no warrior—"

"My king….do not wax poetic. She is dead…." Everyone watched as Eomer turned from the high king and shook his head. "She is dead." Captains came to Aragorn with news of the enemies strength and movements within the halls and Eomer was left to dwell with his dark thoughts.

_They cut on her. They tortured her. She is dead. What will you tell her mother? How can you go back? How can you not? How can I live without her?_

Eomer turned and watched as the corridor ahead of them filled with light. "I will kill those that did this to her and avenge her..." With an angry roar Eomer charged the oncoming Uruk's.

The first thing Ari felt was an intense burning sensation ripping through her lungs as she got her first inhalation of breath. Her back arched and shoulders stiffened as her body tensed with the sudden regeneration of feeling in her body. Her arm and leg started to bleed faster and she clumsily tied a tourniquet around her thigh. Her head swam with the effort of sitting up. Everything in these first few moments were disjointed and jumbled. She got her breathing under control and let her body come back to the world of the living. Slowly, she swung her legs over the side of the table and nearly crumpled to the floor when she tried to stand. She had to support herself on the tabletop until she could somewhat control her legs.

"Nargrim is so going to have his ass kicked for this!" Ari grunted. She reached over the table and grasped the big knife and wrenched it from the table. "His ass is mine! I will cut off his balls and feed them to a cave troll." It took Ari forever to walk down the corridor using the walls for supports. She left a nice trail of blood behind her as a slow trickle ran its way down her leg and over the heel of her boot. She reached the cross hall and followed the dim sounds of battle. An Uruk came up behind her and she was flung against the opposite wall. The creature growled viciously and held her to the wall.

"Son of a bitch! It's called an altoid….get some." The creature breathed heavily on her again as it snarled at her and Ari moved the blade up to the creature's side and brought it crumpling to the ground before her. "Next time you'll learn to be nicer and not breathe on people." She limped down the corridor a little faster and stood atop a flight of stairs that descended into a room with a dozen men and uruk's fighting hand to hand. Ari watched horror stricken as Nargrim suddenly entered the room and made a sweeping motion with his arm clearing Uruk's and men away before him and flinging them to the walls. He approached the spot where Eomer was killing an Uruk and started to applaud.

"Bravo….I take it you are Eomer." He grinned when Eomer stood to his full height and narrowed his eyes on the man in black. "You were rumored to be quite a hero…nice to see the story tellers didn't exaggerate as much with you as with the others."

"Who are you?"

"Nargrim the Black." Nargrim projected his voice and the words echoed off the stone walls. Men moved away from the wizard and whispered amongst one another. Ari rolled her eyes at the dramatics and searched the room again. Aragorn and Eldarion were not in the room….Ari assumed they must be elsewhere fighting, Nargrim spoke again. "Your woman had much the same reaction…." Nargrim's smile was like that of a hissing snake. "Pity that reaction didn't last."

Ari's knees shook and her head swam. She leaned heavily against the wall and sat down on the top step to wait for her legs to regain strength. She watched as Eomer's sword flashed in the thin yellow light of the torches and Nargrim's sword blocked the blow. He laughed and smiled as he let Eomer advance on him. The shadows of the two men moved like large black bats across the walls, their swords clashed loudly. Ari rose quickly and almost fell down the stairs; her legs could hardly support her anymore and when she reached the bottom she pushed her way through the men still fighting Uruk's. Nargrim knocked Eomer to the ground and stood over him laughing. So focused was Ari on the fight that she heard neither the shouts and groans of the other warriors in the room nor the clang of steel against steel but only the conversation of Nargrim and Eomer.

_When did the fighting start again? _

Ari didn't focus on the thought for long. This was her chance. Nargrim stood over Eomer, his sword pointed down at the horse lord's body.

"Your woman thought she could beat me as well….she was proven to be wrong….just as I will prove you to be wrong. My uncle and I will take over the land of men and darkness shall once again---" Nargrim's speech was cut short and his brow furrowed. Suddenly he made a gurgling sound and looked down as the point of a long sword burst through his midnight black robes.

"You'd do better if you shut the fuck up and just DID it ass wipe." Nargrim sank to his knees and Eomer was given his first glance of ARi standing behind the man. "This is for trying to hurt my man." She wrenched the blade one quarter turn. "And this is for assuming I'd lay nice and quiet and not do anything about it!" She turned the blade again and watched satisfied as Nargrim fell dead at her feet. "Now that's how you kill someone butt monkey." She turned weary eyes to Eomer who looked at her in complete shock.

"Ari?"

"Hiya hotstuff." She closed her eyes and sank to the floor beside Nargrim. When she opened her eyes again Eomer was scrambling to her side and his face bobbed into her field of vision. "You don't think something little like DEATH would keep me out of a fight…did you?"

"But….how did you? How are you..?"

"It was a draught…a poison or something….I don't know—he made me take it. I didn't want to." She shook her head and tried to catch her breath as Eomer held onto her. "We have to get out of here….I know Eldarion is here, I saw him…where are they? Where are Aragorn and Eldarion?" Her body began to shudder and convulse. Ari's insides felt like water and for a moment in her pain wracked mind she thought that her stomach and kidneys would flow out the gash in her leg if she didn't do something. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the watery feeling dissipate.

"Shhh….Eldarion and Aragorn are fighting elsewhere….I got separated."

"Sir we should get going…" One of the men interrupted.

"He's right." Ari sat up stiffly and stood hissing in pain at the effort involved.

"You're going to stay here and wait for us to get back." Eomer said grasping her hand. "You're bleeding…"

"Of course I'm bleeding and when was the last time I ever listened to something you told me?"

"Arianna…." Eomer rose to look down at her. It never worked before…maybe he could intimidate her now….

"I'm not…" The cries of men entering the room cut Ari off and she brought her sword to the ready slowly. She was in no condition to fight.

"They're behind us." A man yelled as he entered the room and turned to face the doorway. Everyone looked up to see more Uruk's coming through the entry and down the stairs. Aragorn and Eldarion came crashing through another passageway; more Uruk's hot on their tails.

The fighting was fierce and Ari was finding it difficult to do battle with one arm injured and the tightness of the space. It was hard to breath, hard to move and she was satarting to lose some feeling in her leg where she'd tied the tourniquet. Suddenly a loud thunderclap like noise echoed through the room and several men were thrown back from the stairs that Ari had descended before. Everyone's attention turned as the wraith dissolved from the shadows and floated down the stairs into view.

"So….it is that I have Aragorn, king of Men and his blood line in my clutches…..what a momentous occasion!" A hissing laughter flowed through the room as if on a fell breeze and it made Ari's skin crawl. She punched at the Uruk standing beside her and watched satisfied as it fell unconscious to the floor.

"This cannot be." Aragorn whispered.

"I saw Eowyn kill him….she nearly died trying to kill him…" Eomer whispered somewhere to Ari's left.

"The age of light for man will end this night, Aragorn….." The wraith cackled as it stepped closer and closer the king of Men. Aragorn raised the sword that was re-forged, Anduril, in defense and watched as the wraith stopped ten feet away from him. "Your play sword will not help you…you are an old king of an ancient age."

"The age of men is only in its second decade." Aragorn said in a voice that dominated the room. "It is far from over. The remnants of Sauron's vindictive hold on the world will fall away and in my sons time there shall be no evil in Middle Earth."

"Well…then perhaps you shall remain alive, but your blood…." The wraith turned to face Eldarion and with a single wave of his hand flung the prince against the far wall. Eldarion cried out as the wraith held him against the wall and with its terrible power began to try to crush the life from Eldarion's body.

"_Fuck this shit."_ Before anyone could react to what had just happened Ari pounced forward and swung her sword at the outstretched arm of the intruder. The wraith screamed in agony and clutched at his arm where his hand had once been. Ari looked down at the severed hand lying at her feet and picked it up by one of the gauntleted fingers. A bloody human hand dropped to the stone floor.

"Eww." Ari muttered and looked as the figure before her cried out with suppressed pain and rage. "OK Scooby…..so if he's not a real wraith, then who is he?" Ari stepped forward and held her sword to the wraith's throat.

"You'll pay!" The creature hissed.

"Shut up….you're not in control! You aren't even a wraith fuck nut." Ari said harshly as she grasped the hood and pulled it back revealing the helmet. She sensed Eomer move up behind her. "I'm tired of playing games and I'm so not into this Darth Vader shit." She harshly ripped the helmet from the head of the crouching person before her. They looked on as the figure cowered before Ari…thin white skin stretched over the frame and his eyes narrowed as he glared up at her, still clutching his bleeding limb---eyes Ari recognized all too well.

"Grimma Wormtoungue." Eomer whispered. "How is this…?"

"How's it hanging Asshole?" Ari interrupted savoring the look. "Last time I said that to you I left you cowering in a cell in Rohan….hmmm…things haven't changed much except that we're not in Rohan…"

"What were you planning?" Eomer asked lunging forward to grab the man on the floor.

"To take what was rightfully mine." The man hissed up at them. His voice was thin with age but his eyes held more hate than when they'd last met. "I was to be the left hand of the ruler of all of middle earth….I was to be a great ruler."

"I hate to break it to you, but that was a load of shit." Ari ground out. She'd managed to put her sword tip in a crack in the flooring and leaned against the blade. She didn't care at this point if that was good for the blade or not….she didn't think she could stand without some support.

"Lord Saruman would not have betrayed me."

"Oh…yes he would have." Ari said angrily kicking the helmet farther away from Wormtongue. She wrenched the sword from the crack in the floor and wielded it against Wormtongue. "And by the by….that was TWENTY FLIPPIN' YEARS AGO! Get over it already! You lost fuck up!" Her arm shook slightly as she threatened the old man at her feet. It felt wrong yet right at the same time. "I ought to kill you…I ought to just…" She took a step back and shook her head as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.

"Ari?" Eomer turned to look at her, his eyes darkening with concern.

"I just need a minute." She took several deep breaths and took in her surroundings. The dead Uruk's and men, the living men staring at the scene playing out with Wormtongue, at Aragorn looking on confused…"Wait…where's Eldarion?" The prince lay at the base of the wall where Wormtongue had flung him. "Eldarion!" Aragorn rushed to his son's side at the same moment as Ari.

"I am fine, Father….don't worry so." He smiled at Arianna and his father. "I only got the wind knocked from me is all." Eldarion sat up slowly and rubbed at the growing knot on the back of his head.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that…." Ari said trying to smile back at the prince.

Ari forced herself to stand and went back to where Eomer was still holding Wormtongue at sword point. She let her sword clang to the floor; she was having problems feeling her fingertips and was unable to hold the heavy blade anymore. She fell to her knees beside Wormtongue and hissed at the dull ache and burning in her knees and thigh. She grasped the worn collar of Wormtongue's robes and brought his face close to hers.

"How did you do it? What role did you and Nargrim play in all this?"

"Why should I tell you--?" Ari punched Wormtongue in the face and watched as blood trickled from his nose.

"Tell me!" She shouted. The old man in her grips took several deep breaths and glared daggers at Ari. She pulled back for a second punch to the face when he suddenly began to speak.

"Nargrim is the son of my lord Saruman and a woman of the woods." Wormtongue wasn't distracted by the sound of more of the Rohirrim entering the room, among them Merry and Pippin. "When Saruman fell in that pit called the Shire I retrieved his son and raised him as my master would have wanted him to be raised. He is Ishtari by blood."

"Hear that Pip? He just called the Shire a pit! He didn't think Sam and Frodo and us would put it back together again did he?"

"I'd fathom not Merry." Pippin's face was coated with the dirt and grime of battle and he wiped at the streak of blood caked at his cheek. Ari brought her eyes back to Wormtongue.

"Nargrim's dead." Ari finished. "He wasn't full Ishtari."

"Lord Saruman wanted his army prepared to fight…we just had to wait for Nargrim to come of age." Wormtongue laughed. "That happened a few months ago and we came up with our plan to destroy Aragorn and all he had built."

"And the creatures? Where did they come from?"

"Not all of the Urukai were killed in the last great battle. Some survived and were brought to live in the abandoned mines at Moria. It was quite a fine place to live after Gandalf brought the Balrog down." His laugh was a cold hiss. "The dwarves won't go there and neither would any man. Those foolish enough to come near were captured….we made their women breeders."

"You did what?" Wormtongue's eyes glittered at the shock he saw on ARi's face.

"Breeders….they carried the young of strong Uruk warriors. The product is before you now."

"You raped women to carry those monsters?" Ari bashed the Wormtongue's head against the stones and watched as the man continued to laugh. Her pants were soaked in the blood gushing from the stump of his arm. "What of Fangorn you bastard?"

"We were using the trees there to build our outposts….for our take over."

Ari was still reeling over what he'd told her regarding the breeding program he'd initiated.

"How many more of these warriors are in Fangorn and Lorien? Are there any in Greenwood?"

"None in the Greenwood…." Wormtongue sighed. "Quite a few in Fangorn…you'll never get them all." Ari turned to look at Aragorn as he paced.

"What can we do?" She turned and looked on as Aragorn continued his pacing, her grasp on Wormtongue's robes loosened but she did not register it. She was already too weak.

"Ari!" Merry shouted as he lunged forward. Ari looked down to see Wormtongue trying to work a short knife from the folds of his robes. She kicked out at the man's remaining hand sending the blade spinning across the floor. Merry was upon him in the next moment raising his short sword high over his head to bring it powerfully into the man's chest.

"Mer—" the word 'mercy' died on Wormtongue's lips. Even in death he'd been a horrible coward.

She tried to stand but her head swam briefly and the room whirled around her. She fell back and slumped against Eomer who lowered her to the ground.

"You're not well…"  
"That fucker cut me deep." She gestured towards the pile of black that was Nargrim's body. Her arm was soaked in blood and her leg pained her with every move she made. She wanted to puke…she'd felt like this after some of the soccer parties she'd been to; after she'd done a few keg stands or played a few rounds of flip cup. _That was different….this is worse…so much worse._

She was trying to keep her mind off her abdomen as much as possible. It burned…but didn't seem to be as big a problem as her limbs.

"Just relax…" Eomer crooned stroking her face. "You fought bravely."

"Ha…." She looked at the men around her. "How is it I always end up hurt when we come here?"

"I don't know…" Eomer tried to make his voice light but with all the blood soaking Ari's clothes it was difficult.

"We must leave." Aragorn said, his keen ears picking up the faint sound of heavy footsteps. "More of those Uruk's are coming this way."

"They raped women….they used them!" Ari babbled.

Eomer helped support Ari as Aragorn led the way down the twisted hallways to an exit. They gathered as many of the men along the way as they could and moved up and down hall ways looking for their exit. Everyone stopped briefly when the corridor branched and Aragorn tried to determine which was the correct path. Eomer took the moments hesitation to bend his head and take Ari's lips in a passionate kiss.

"I thought I had lost you." He said resting his brow against her forehead.

"You'll never lose me…I'm like a bad penny…I'll just keep turning up." She said smiling up at him.

"This way!" Aragorn shouted leading everyone down the hall. They descended into the dark hallway she and Eldarion had exited into when they'd made their escape.

"We know where to go." The last thing Ari remembered was Edarion leading the way up the stairs and her tripping on the steep stairs.

_Whoops._

She saw the stairs move up to meet her….vaguely thought about reaching out to stop them from hitting her in the face but nothing seemed to want to function anymore. She didn't have to worry though; she was swept up in Eomer's strong arms and carried into the first pale rays of the dawn sunlight.


	15. So Close and yet so far

_A/N: Sorry it took so long to update...Spring Break and all the projects that come with it! But here's a chapter and another to go with it! Enjoy and please review!_

Ari blinked in the bright light and breathed in the fresh air of the woods of Lorien. She rested her head against Eomer's shoulder and let the plans move around her. She didn't care---she couldn't. Everything had hit her like a ton of bricks….the pain, the exhaustion, the stress and relief. She opened her eyes slowly and was surprised to see the big Uruk's coming out the doors behind them.

"Eomer…" her voice was weaker than she wanted it to be. She was angry with herself for succumbing to the weakness of injury and pain. Mortality was a bitch. But she was also angry at Nargrim and Wormtongue for it was because of them that she was in this situation to begin with. _"The only positive in all this is that Eomer is holding me."_

Eomer turned and shouted for Aragorn to return to aid him. More men came from the woods and assaulted the fortress. Aragorn grasped Eomer's shoulder and looked down at Ari.

"She needs to get back, Eomer. Take her back and stay with her….." Eomer looked at the size of Aragorn's army and nodded. The army of Men vastly outnumbered the leaderless Uruk's—they did not need Eomer's help, but Ari did. Eomer followed Eldarion back to where their horses were being held.

"Can you ride?" Eomer asked. Ari shook her head against his neck.

"I don't think I can hold the reins…" The idea of sitting a horse with her leg split open didn't much appeal to her either but she couldn't get her thoughts into the form of words.

_Maybe I'm still feeling the effects of the draught…._

"Then you'll ride in front of me." Eomer whispered before gently placing her in the arms of a nearby soldier. He mounted his horse which was newly shod and had been returned to him before entering the woods. The man boosted Ari up and Eomer maneuvered her into his lap and held onto her as she whimpered slightly. "Are you comfortable?"

"As much as I can be." She rested her head back against Eomer's shoulder as another wave of pain crashed over her. Eldarion also mounted his horse and together with a few guardsmen the party moved for the rear guard. Ari was asleep soon after they had set out. Eomer took comfort in her methodic breathing against his neck and he took care to keep his horse to a gentle walk. He did not want to jar her horribly.

"She looks pale." Eldarion said as he looked back at the two of them. Eomer's skin was a hearty healthy brown while Ari's a ghostly, near transparent white. Eomer didn't want to acknowledge how clammy her skin felt against his own.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Eomer said flatly. He was tired. He'd hoped to die in the fight that had followed his discovery of Ari's cold, and apparently lifeless body. When he had seen her standing behind Nargrim his heart had stopped and then beat with such fury he had thought that his chest would explode. Now he wanted nothing more than to get Ari medical care and lay beside her and never again have her in harms way. He looked down at the rag doll in his lap and could hardly believe that this was the same woman who he'd fought beside and who he loved with every fiber of his being. She seemed so defenseless! Eomer moved through the tall trees of Lorien and wished that Ari were awake to enjoy their beauty too. He figured she hadn't seen much of the trees on her way in…and on her escape, if he knew Ari as well as he thought he did, she hadn't paid mind to anything but her path of escape and her pursuers. His horse moved down a steep hill and a slight stutter in its step roused Ari with a groan.

"Are we there yet?" Eomer laughed softly and kissed the top of her head.

"No…not quite." She groaned again. "Are you in a lot of pain? Do you want me to stop?" Ari grasped Eomer's arm in a grip so strong it shocked him.

"Don't you dare stop….." She turned her head slightly and stared up into his moss colored eyes. He saw pain and fear in her eyes; something he hadn't seen in two years after she'd been injured at Minas Tirith.

"I won't, I promise you…." He nudged the horse forward with his heels urging the beast beneath him to move quicker.

It was nightfall before Eomer and Eldarion rode into the circle of fires of the rear guard. Injured men from the Uruk attacks on the camps lay all about. Eomer lowered Ari into the arms of two medics and watched as they took her away on a stretcher. Eldarion got down from his horse and followed another healer to the tent to have his bruised chest examined.

"She'll be alright Eomer." He said as the healer helped him remove his tunic. "She's a strong sort."

"Aye…" The flap of the surgeon's tent shut and Eomer watched the shadows skitter across the canvas in a macabre dance. He stood his ground and waited for reports from the front to come in.

Aragorn and Maleth returned to camps, the old Rohirrim captain's arm bound in a bloody sling.

"We have defeated them and destroyed the fortress." Aragorn said as he dismounted. His deeply lined face was covered in dark smudges. Eomer let his eyes dart in the direction of the fortress and saw the low orange glow above the trees.

"It's burning…as are the tunnels beneath the place….none of the Uruk's will be getting back here."

"That is good." Aragorn followed the other man's stare to the medical tent.

"How does she fair?"

"I don't know" Eomer rubbed his hand across his eyes, his shoulders slumped and he took his eyes from the tent for the first time in hours. "No one has come out to tell me anything." He looked at his hand briefly. It was covered in dirt and blood. He couldn't remember being injured….he was sure his shoulder wound hadn't re-opened. It took him a moment to realize the blood was on his tunic, his trousers and under his fingernails belonged to Ari.

"You need rest…"

"Do not tell me what I need, Aragorn." Eomer turned his gold flecked eyes on Aragorn's silver ones. "I need to know that she is alright…I need to know that Nargrim did not kill her with his despicable torture. I need to know that she and I will have the chance to return to the other world and live our lives in happiness and peace." Aragorn clasped Eomer's shoulder reassuringly.

"I am King…and with that title come many perks indeed. Will you go get some rest if I come back and tell you she is alright?" Eomer leveled his gaze at Aragorn and thought through what the man before him said. His mind whirled around and circled on one thought alone---was Ari going to survive? Like a great spiral his mind went over the single thought repeatedly.

_Was Ari alright?_

_Was she going to live?_

_Did he get her back here in time?_

_Was she bleeding out in there?_

_Were her ribs still broken?_

_Was she going to survive?_

"Yes." The word slipped across his lips before he had a chance to think about what he was agreeing to. His shoulders slumped against Aragorn's strong hands.

"Father?" Eldarion stepped forward and looked at the tired soldier his father was conferring with.

"Eldarion…my son…how are you?"

"I am well. Bruised chest….nothing more. What of lady Arianna?"

"I am going to find out now. Come, stand with Eomer." Eldarion looked at the defeated man before him and found it hard to believe it was Eomer. Aragorn moved from the faint torchlight into shadow, his silhouette bold from the light of the medical tent where Arianna lay.

"She will survive it….I know she will." Eldarion said, partly to Eomer, partly to himself and partly to the darkness engulfing them. "She will survive." When he got no answer he turned to glance at Eomer. The faint track of a tear was visible in the torchlight upon the warrior's face. "Eomer?"

"Never in all my years of fighting, nor in any of the battles I have faced have I ever felt such fear." Eomer's words were choked and strained. "Why am I more fearful of what happens to her than for myself?"

"I can't imagine I know the answer to that. I am younger than you by….well, by quite a bit by Middle Earth's time." Eldarion smiled weakly at the other man but found it hard, the worry Eomer felt spreading across him and suppressing his own feelings. "Your love for her surpasses all else." Eldarion said suddenly and Eomer's eyes locked on his. "You care more for her than you do for yourself. You can not possibly imagine a life without her---you would rather die yourself than live one day without her."

"How does one so young come across such a conclusion?"

"I have an Elvin mother….she will watch my father die…and more than likely will watch me die as well." Eldarion clasped Eomer's shoulders much the way his father had. "She has raised me to understand the power and depth of loss and to never lose hope. I pass her words onto you now….for she is the wisest person I know."

Aragorn watched as the healer's moved about the inside of the tent and worked at stitching the wounds in Ari's arm and leg shut. The filthy tunic she was clothed in had been cut away to give the surgeon's access. Her skin looked gray beneath the layer of filth that had accumulated on her body. Where the healers had cleansed the wounded areas he could see just how pale she really was.

"Pale as death…" he whispered. One of the healers looked up and bowed deeply to Aragorn.

"My king…"

"How is she?"

"She is very sick, my king." The man said. "She needs more care than we can give her here."

"Where shall we move her to? Helm's Deep or Isengard?"

"Helm's Deep. I know what supplies they have there, sire. She would be better treated at the Deep."

"Then we shall move her at once—" Aragorn made to turn to issue orders for Ari's removal but was stopped by the healer.

"She can not be moved yet." The man sighed. "She is still much too weak. If we move her this night we would risk killing her."

"What do you need?" Aragorn looked at the pale woman on the cot, her black hair spread across her forehead and neck in stark contrast to her ghostly pale skin. Arianna had been a friend and ally in a horrific battle. She had found his son, and at great risk to herself she had seen to it that he had gotten free. She was as much a member of his family as his children and his wife. As much a part of him as the story of the One Ring, the Fellowship, and all of Middle Earth.

"More bandages, more water…." The man rubbed his face in an exhausted manner. "Sleep, but that is not an option at this point. Is there anything YOU need, sire?"

"I need her to live." Aragorn said pointing to Ari. "You do what you can…I'll bring what you need."

Eomer and Eldarion looked up as Aragorn emerged from the tent. Eomer burst forward but halted when Aragorn held up his hand.

"Is she--?"

"She is as well as can be expected. We need to get her to Helm's Deep but can not do so until morning at least." Aragron turned to Eldarion and dispatched his son to retrieve the water and bandages the medic required of him. "You need rest if you are to be of any help to her tomorrow."

"How can I sleep when she is….might be…"

"Come with me." Aragorn led Eomer to the tent and pulled the tent flap back. Eomer saw the grisly wounds and the still all too clear bruise on her side from where she'd been trampled. Her skin was the color and looked to be the same texture as marble. Her hair was silk and shone like a raven's wing in the candle light within the tent. It was as if she was a finely crafted doll but the artist had neglected to paint her features. Her lips were thin and near white, and her cheeks, usually so bright and quick to blush were flat and dull. There was a small cut on her left cheek that he'd never noticed before…she'd been so filthy. "She needs you to be strong now to help her tomorrow. You must get some rest to ride with her to Helm's Deep on the morrow and get her to your sister." Aragorn shook Eomer lightly jarring him. "Do you understand?"

Eomer only nodded and turned away. He put the image of the unfinished doll behind him. If Ari were to die, he did not want his last memory of her to be that colorless representation.


	16. Good Medicine

The army moved back to Helm's Deep. The injured were led by a strong unit of Gondor archers and followed by the cavalry of Rohan. Eomer rode slowly beside the travois that bore Ari. She was still ghostly pale but the healers deemed it safe to transport her; they feared if she did not get proper medical attention from the healers at Helm's Deep, she would surely die. Messengers had been sent to Helm's Deep to warn of the large numbers returning. Several units went off into Fangorn to find the rest of the creatures there that had been building a second fortress. It was not hard to overcome the leaderless Uruk-humans.

Eowyn rushed out to meet the armies and directed people to different places to be seen to. When she saw Eomer on his horse looking tired her eyes glimmered with relief, happy that her brother was alive. Then she looked to the travois carrying Ari, the wind picking up strands of her lovely black hair and moving them in the gentle breeze. Eowyn's heart plummeted and she felt it like lead in her feet. The messengers had only said how many were coming back, not who the injured were. It was as if the world moved beneath her and she felt herself drawn to the travois.

"Oh no…." She whispered. "This cannot be." She looked to Eomer but he was in a daze still.

Eowyn shouted for two orderlies to come down the steps and carry Ari inside. She turned instantly to her brother. His color was lighter than it should have been and he looked tired and drawn. "Eomer, are you hurt?"

"No---help Ari…please?" Eowyn hugged Eomer to her as the weight and enormity of the situation surrounding him bore down on him and he sobbed openly into his sister's shoulder.

"I will…I promise." She looked up into his watery eyes and smiled. "You go rest. She'll need you to be strong." Eowyn disappeared in a flash of green and gold and chased the orderlies carrying Ari to a private room, leaving Eomer feeling empty and alone on the steps as the wounded moved around him.

Ari had no idea how long she had been asleep. She didn't remember much of anything except fighting and blood. What she did know was that she was comfortable and warm and felt an overwhelming power of safety and comfort. She opened her eyes slowly. Where the fortress had been cold, black and gray, she was now in a room that was warm, gold and bright. She moved her head slowly to look to her right and saw a woman bent to her sewing.

"Eowyn?" The woman's head snapped up and her face showed her absolute relief at seeing Ari awake.

"Aye. How do you feel?" Eowyn asked coming to sit on Ari's bedside.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." Her throat was dry and raspy and Eowyn moved and retrieved a big silver pitcher and helped Ari to rise up before pouring her a glass of water. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. I was so worried for you." Eowyn said brushing a strand of Ari's hair away from her face. "You were so pale….so close to death." Eowyn's voice caught in her throat and she found it difficult to go on.

"You can't get rid of me 'Wyn." Ari said cracking a smile. "Not ever." She rested back against the plush pillows and sighed before falling back asleep. Eowyn left to tell her brother that Ari had roused, but only momentarily.

"She's been asleep for a week." Eomer said as he and Eowyn walked through the camps. "How is she?"

"I believe she is mending. She was so ill when she was brought here….so full of fever."

"Eldarion said she burned with it when she was first brought to that prison."

"I wouldn't doubt that she never fully healed. She's a strong willed woman…she would not have rested."

"Aye, 'tis true."

The first three days at the Deep, Ari had screamed and moaned with the fever wracking her body. The fever had taken hold of her only after they had started moving her. Eomer wanted to stop and call for aid but the healers said it would be impossible.

"We must keep moving, my lord or she will die here." One of the men had told him. "The fever is her body fighting to survive." They'd moved as quickly as they dared across the fold and towards Helm's Deep. Eomer had never been happier to see the old fortress as he'd been the day they arrived. Inside that fort Ari could be made better. The first night was the worst. The healers had moved back and forth all evening with cold water from the streams running through the caves below the fort. It was icy runoff and was exactly what they needed to bring down the fever boiling in Ari's veins. She was so pale, yet hot to the touch. Eomer had been kept away from her sick room but he could still hear her cries of agony, the heat of the fever boiling inside her. He had overheard one of the healers say she had opened her eyes and mumbled something unintelligible and that her eyes were the most evil thing he'd ever seen, as if she were possessed.

"Her eyes focused on me and were black as jet….what should have been white was a sickly yellow and shot through with blood. She weeps even in her sleep."

Eomer wanted so desperately to see her, to hold her and tell her she'd live and whisper words of encouragement, but Eowyn had strictly forbidden it. There was no room for whispered words of sweet nothings…the healers needed to have complete and unhindered access to Ari to help make her well again. That and Ari's condition was so bad that Eowyn did not want Eomer seeing Arianna in such bad shape. The last few days Ari had fallen into a heavy slumber and complete silence descended upon the fortress wing where Ari was held. Eomer had paced and stalked the hallways and kept watch on the stairs all day until Eowyn forced him to leave.

Two days after Ari had first awoken and spoken to Eowyn, Eomer was finally allowed to enter Ari's sick room. Eowyn had finally been convinced to go take a nap and allowed Eomer to sit in and watch over Ari. He had spent a few moments staring down at her, her cheeks were still a thin papery white and her hair stood out in thick black waves across the pillows beneath her head. Her arm rested above the coverlet, covered in a thick wrapping of bandages. He gently caressed her face and as she slept and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.

"I love you Arianna." He whispered. He sat beside her for sometime before moving to the far corner of the room where he could still watch her, but not be as tempted to touch her every few moments. He was dozing quietly in the corner himself when Ari awoke again. She saw Eomer leaning his chair back against the wall sleeping; the rise and fall of his chest rhythmic and even in the silence of the room.

How long had she been out? A day, or a month? She was still going over the past events and trying to figure out how long she'd been out of action when Eomer suddenly sat up and looked around the room rubbing his face as if trying to remember where he was and why. He sighed and looked back to where Ari lay on the low bed. Ari watched as his breathing slowed and he stared intently at her. He blinked twice and then rubbed his eyes.

"Am I dreaming? Or are you truly awake?"

"I think I'm awake…unless I'm dreaming again." She moved slightly but pain burned through her chest and she stopped. "Nix that, I'm awake." Eomer was kneeling beside her in a moment caressing her face and grasping her hand.

"Should I fetch the healers?"

"No….I don't want healers." She smiled up at him and clasped his hand tightly in hers. "I just want to look at you. How are you?"

"I'm fine….just worried for you." Eomer felt his heart sore as she smiled at him. _She was alive!_

"I'm a tough cookie. You know that."

"I thought you'd met your match…"

"Never." She laughed but stopped instantly as even laughing was painful. She saw Eomer's face crease with concern and she smiled again. "I'm fine. I'm still a little sore, but I'm sure that's to be expected."

"Yes…."

"So how long have I been on my back?" She said picking absently at the lint on the blanket. "Two or three days?"

"Almost a week and a half."

"What!" Ari tried to sit up but fell back to the bed in a fit of coughing as her rib cage constricted.

"Relax! You're still not well!" Eomer said trying to keep her relaxed.

"I've been out a week and a half and you expect me to just relax." Ari bit back. Eomer smiled.

"That's the girl that I love."

"Don't you---give me any of that--mister." Ari's breathing was labored and her brow furrowed in anger and frustration. "I want to know—where I can go---to get the last---" Eomer kissed her passionately and cut her off. His lips worked against hers powerfully and he thrust his tongue into her willing mouth. She could feel the whiskers of his ill trimmed beard against her chin and the side of her mouth. She moaned in contented pleasure as he brushed his strong fingers through her lustrous hair.

"Ahem?" Eomer looked over his shoulder to where Eowyn and another healer stood in the doorway. She looked inquisitively at her brother, a smile dancing in her eyes. "Eomer, I told you to watch Ari."

Eomer cleared his throat and looked back down at Ari who glanced at the wall and grinned, trying not to laugh.

"I am here to check on Lady Arianna---see how she is faring?" The stern faced healer asked.

Eomer smiled at Ari and placed a chaste kiss upon her forehead before he rose and went to the door.

"I think she's faring just fine." Eomer said when he reached the door. "Just fine."


	17. Worry

"Wow." Ari breathed as Eomer left the room. Eowyn grinned at Ari and shook her head.

"Awake for less than an hour I'd wager and you can't keep away from him."

"Other way around 'Wyn…he couldn't keep away from me." Ari said wickedly as she grinned smugly. The healer fussed over her and limited her to strict bed rest. Eowyn sat beside Ari and looked down at her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than the last time…." She winced as she tried to sit up. "God I hate this."

"The healer said you were on strict orders of bed rest which means no moving….stay down." Eowyn said pushing Ari gently back to the bed.

"But I've been on my back for a week and a half! I want to get up and go!" She made her best puppy dog eyes at Eowyn. "My ass is numb."

"Well, you'll have to stay down and relax. I'll go find Eomer and you two can talk if you like." Ari bit her bottom lip and smiled. "Only talk! I won't let him come back if I come in here and find you two in the throes of passion." Eowyn chided, reading the look on Ari's face like a book.

"What? Me? Passionate throes? Never!"

"Behave!" Eowyn exited and went to bring Eomer back. She followed him into the room and with a well practiced maternal finger shake she admonished the two of them "Both of you had better behave….I won't let you alone if I find out you've been up to no good." She left the room with a smile and disappeared down the hall.

"She won't let me move, the healers won't let me move, my life is sucking." Ari said as Eomer approached her bedside.

"There's nothing I can do…I'm sorry."

"Don't you give me that. You got me in trouble."

"I got you in trouble?" Eomer sat down and leaned back in the chair. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

"I don't know…I'm finding it hard to remember…."  
"Ha! That's not going to work on me Arianna." Eomer leaned forward in his chair and smiled down on her. "Eowyn would have my hide if she thought I was in here hampering your ability to get well."

Ari sighed heavily, a dull ache moving through her ribs as she did so. Her face twisted as if she smelled something bad and she shook her head.

"Ari?"

"My chest hurts." She blurted out looking at the ceiling. "And I'm thirsty." Eomer got her a glass of water and helped her to sit up. He fluffed the pillows beneath her and made sure she was comfortable before he too reclined on the bed beside her. "Eowyn will be pissed."

"I don't care." Eomer said taking the empty glass from Ari and setting it on the floor. "I won't leave you again."

"You better not." Ari lay her head against Eomer's shoulder and the two of them talked, Ari picking up little bits of what had been happening around the fort and Eomer trying to glean some information on her time in captivity. But Ari would speak of little of it. Eventually the two of them fell asleep together. This was the scene on which Eowyn entered the room.

Ari's head lay easily on Eomer's strong shoulder, his head tucked against the top of hers. Eowyn stood in the doorway staring at them before setting down a tray of food beside them and backing away.

"Eowyn?" The woman stopped and turned at the sound of her brother's voice.

"Shhh…." She whispered. "Don't disturb her."

"Thank you." Eomer whispered back.

Whether it was a 'Thank you' for bringing food or a 'thank you' for saving the woman he loved, Eowyn didn't know. She took it to mean both.

"I'm tired of sitting in this bed and not being able to move! Now God Dammit!" Ari's shouts echoed through the halls and Eomer strolled into the room full of healers slowly so as not to attract her wrath as well. "Let me---get up---and move around!"

"My lady you still are not well….your ribs need time to heal." One said plaintively. "It is not good for you to work yourself into such an agitation."

"I'll tell you what's not---good for me." Ari said tossing the blankets from her legs and sitting up. She'd been conscious and on bed rest for the last three days. She was not one to lie abed. "I'm getting out of this bed, and I'm doing it now." Ari swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand but couldn't manage. Eomer moved forward and helped her stand. Her legs were wobbly and she had to grasp his arm with all the strength her sick body contained.

"Sir, she really shouldn't…."

"Neither you nor any man has ever told Arianna Carver what to do….not even her own MOTHER could keep her in that bed." Eomer said cutting the man off. "I shall keep an eye on her and bring her back here to convalesce at the first sign of trouble."

"My hero." Ari grumbled.

"Beggars can't be choosers, my dear." Eomer said as he slowly led her from the room full of stunned healers. "You should probably listen to them though." He could feel her gaze burn through him and he stopped speaking. He knew it would be futile to argue with her further on the matter. Eomer wrapped his arm around her waist and helped steady her. Their pace was slow and Ari's chest heaved with exertion.

"Can we stop for a little while?" Ari asked when she saw they were approaching a stairway. "I'm feeling a little tired."

"Do you want to go back?"

"No. If I wanted to go back, I would have said 'I want to go back to hell.'" Ari snapped at him as she let him help her sit on an upholstered bench. "I just need a little rest to catch my breath."

"Alright." Eomer watched as her pale, pain filled features relaxed and regained some of their color. When she'd caught her breath again, she and Eomer continued on their walk and only returned to Ari's room when she could barely stand on her own two feet.

For the next week this was their regimen. Ari and Eomer explored Helm's Deep and the new expansions and revisions. They visited with the injured and sat with Aragorn and Eldarion listening to stories. From the dwarves' communication system they learned that many of the orcs had been using the old halls of Moria as a base of operations. The old mines were caved in upon themselves and nothing; demon, darkness or orc could live in the place.

They left Helm's Deep a few days later. Ari rode her own mount and cooed and chatted with the beast as the column moved past. Ari was in no hurry. Spring had come to Middle Earth and the flowers were in full bloom on the Westfold; the warm winds sweet with the scents of flowers and new growth.

Aragorn and Eldarion did not stay at the Golden Hall but moved on to Gondor quickly. Though Aragorn had sent word to Arwen that Eldarion was indeed safe, he knew that his wife would not rest quietly until she had her son back where she could fawn over him.

"You keep your nose clean from now on, Stranger." Ari said as they prepared to say good bye. "I don't want to have to come and find your ass again…..your little game of hide and seek caused me more pain than I've experienced in my whole life." Eldarion smiled.

"I'll try."

"You better do a damn site better than try." Ari and Eldarion shook hands and Ari handed him her tool kit. "Learn to pick locks…you never know when it might come in handy." Eldarion opened the small plastic case and smiled as he held up a few of her bobby pins. "They're better and easier to use than the screwdrivers on some locks. Just take them apart and figure out how they work."

"You had best not be turning my son into a criminal, Arianna." Ari turned to face Aragorn with a big grin.

"Me? Really Aragorn, I'm a very sick woman. How would I possibly endorse a life of crime?" Aragorn shook Ari's hand and hugged her gently.

"Thank you for saving my son. You are always welcome in our house. You and your heirs." He backed away and placed a star shaped pendant on a mitrhil chain around her neck. "You have only to show this at the gates of the city and you will be granted entrance." Aragorn moved away from Ari and she grasped the pendant in her hand, feeling the heat of the light emanating from the stone. Everyone stood on the steps of the Golden hall and waved as the army of Gondor moved back to their fair city.

There was a feast held in celebration the next night but Ari did not stay out nor did she drink with any of the men. She was still in a great deal of pain and retired early. Eowyn watched as the other woman slipped out of the hall, her hand held to her ribs.

"She's still in pain." Eowyn whispered to Faramir. "She's over exerting herself."

"I remember someone else doing that on multiple occasions." Faramir whispered back.

"That was different! I was not tortured in prison!" She hissed. "Childbirth is a completely different situation."

Faramir sighed and pressed his lips to Eowyn's temple.

"So you say now. I remember a distinctly different outlook at the time…"

"Do not try to change the subject, Faramir. I am worried for her." Eowyn said walking away from him. She was a mother…she worried for everyone under her roof.

Ari walked outside the wall at Rohan the next morning and stared up at the clear blue sky. The green and yellow grasses of the plains rolled and waved in the gentle breeze, the pink and purple and golden heads of flowers nodding amongst them. The dirt beneath her feet was soft and a bright reddish brown. She breathed deeply of the sweet smell of sage and the spring blooms, the damp clean smell of the earth beneath her feet and the fresh breeze that danced around her. She felt before she heard the troop of horses coming towards her. Eomer's face was bright with his smile.

"Good morning! How are you?"

"Good enough. What brought you out so early?"

"Nothing….just wanted to ride." He dismounted and walked back into the city with her. They stood in the stables talking quietly about nothing. Ari looked up into the black and stared at the heavy beam overhead.

"Remember the day it rained and I did pull ups on that beam?"

"It was that beam over there." Eomer said as he shut the stall door behind him. "And yes, I remember. Why, what brings that up?"

"Nothing. I just feel so lazy and useless…."

"You're not though." Eomer leaned against the door to the stable. "It will take time for you to recover."

"I don't want to though! I want to run and play soccer and do pull-ups and----gah!" She huffed and made to walk out of the stable past Eomer but he grasped her wrist and pulled her back.

"Do you know what I truly remember about that day?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed the hair from her face.

"No…what?"

"I remember you beating me at soccer….I remember you out drinking everyman in the hall…I remember seeing you step outside into the starlight, your face bathed in the pale moonlight. I remember doing this…." Eomer lowered his lips and pressed them to hers. Her hands ran up his arms and her breathing quickened; the passion and fire of Eomer's kiss blazing into her. His tongue eased across her bottom lip and began to duel with her own. His hands ran up and down her back slowly and then went back to just holding her close to him. Without thinking about it Eomer's arms tightened around her.

Ari felt the burning pain pierce through her and she pulled away from Eomer.

"Oh God…"

"I'm so sorry…Ari?...Ari are you alright?" Eomer watched as what little color Ari had drained from her already pale face.

"Give me a minute." She pressed her head to his shoulder and waited for the pain to pass. "Just give me a minute, hold onto me, and don't squeeze." Ari felt his arms go around her and was shocked at how they rested around her body like a blanket or a feather. Such strong arms should never be so gentle.

"We need to get you back home."

"We are home." Ari's voice was muffled as she rested her head against his shoulder.

"Your home." Ari looked up at him. "I'm glad you think of this place as home, but it's changed too much, we don't have a permanent place here. We need to get back to your mother's ranch---our real home."

"How can we? What would we tell her if my ribs are still broken?"

"We'll tell her exactly what happened…you were thrown from your horse when it spooked."

"She'd never believe it. She trained that horse herself."

"Ari, you can't stay here…not in your condition." He tucked more hair behind her ear and shook his head. "I can't bear to see you hurting like this." He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her to him gently lest she see the extent of the fear on his face. They stood in the stables watching as the sun rose slowly over the city and just held on to one another.


	18. Homeward Bound

Late that afternoon Eomer stood in the doorway of the great throne room where his Uncle had once ruled all of Rohan. Now that task fell to Faramir and Eowyn. On the steps of the raised daise Ari sat with her namesake.

"Yep…now draw a line there…no like this…" Ari instructed the younger girl. They laughed and giggled and Eomer smiled when he heard Ari's laugh….it had been so long since he'd heard that sound.

"Theodred and Eoromir always make fun of my horses." Arianelle said. "Now they won't be able to!"

"Not on your life. Now just shade a little there and go run off to show your mother." Arianelle skidded down the hall past Eomer waving her drawing of a horse.

"You're good with children." Eomer said strolling into the room.

"Only the ones I can give back." Ari smiled as she picked up the stranded pieces of paper and bits of chalk. "Don't tell me you hear your biological clock ticking and want some little someone to carry on your name."

"That would be nice…eventually." Eomer sat down beside her. "I had Faramir send word to Aragorn. Someone has to remember the incantation Gandalf used to send us back." He picked up a piece of chalk and scratched at the paper with it creating patches of color on the parchment.

"Good idea…maybe one of the wizards at Isengard could do it." Ari picked up a different piece of chalk and drew lines and curlicues on the piece of paper Eomer was using.

"Maybe, but they are very weak wizards….more like the druids of your world. They're just men of excelled knowledge and healing."

"Well…we'll see." Eomer brushed the piece of chalk across her nose and laughed as she hit him in retaliation.

Weeks passed but Ari got no better. A cough slowly settled into her chest and Eomer and Eowyn feared it was pneumonia. Ari waved them off and continued to suffer. Finally word from Aragorn came.

Eldarion rode up to the city beside his mother and sister. He waved at Faramir and Eowyn who stood atop the steps and Eomer rushed from the stables, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Lady Arwen---Beg pardon…Queen Arwen….Princess Eileera." Eomer bowed to them and helped the Queen dismount while Eldarion aided his sister. "What brings you to the Riddermark?"

"We came to see Ari…and to thank both of you." Eomer nodded and escorted the Queen up the stairs where Eowyn promptly whisked her away to discuss all things womanly.

"How fares lady Arianna?" Eileera asked of Eomer. "I heard she was ill."

"Aye…she grows worse daily…." Eomer turned to Eldarion. "Did your father send word?"

"Aye---Gimli is going to meet you at Isengard….the wizards are working with him to find the exact incantations."

"May I see Lady Arianna?" Eileera asked, changing the subject. "I wish to see her and see if I can help."

"Of course, I'm sorry Princess…." Eomer bowed and escorted the stately young woman to Ari's bedroom. As they approached the door they heard the wracking cough followed by Ari's groan of agony.

"God damn mother fucking cough….son of a---hey!" Ari cut her tirade short when she saw Eomer come into the room followed by Eileera. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've run away from home too."

"I haven't….mother and Eldarion are with me." Eileera smiled shyly and stepped forward. "How do you feel?"

"Awful." Ari coughed again and winced. "Don't let him know, but he's right…I need to get back to my world."

"My God…someone write this down…." Eomer smiled as he quickly left the room avoiding the malicious stare from Ari.

"He's an ass sometimes…."

"You love him?"

"With all my heart." Ari said smiling. Eileera noted the change in the other woman's tone. "I don't think I could live without him."

"You do have an odd way of showing it." Eileera said taking a seat in the chair beside Ari's bed.

"I'm humorous about love….I don't always show how I feel in front of others…but trust me behind closed doors…Arwen!" Ari grinned broadly as Eileera blushed and giggled when Eowyn and Arwen entered the room.

"Arianna….how do you feel." Arwen asked. Eowyn stood behind her and shot Ari a very motherly look quite obviously sending the message 'how dare you talk about such things in front of a princess!'

"Crappy." Ari said readjusting herself. "I just want to get better…."

"I understand that." Arwen's voice was soft and full of concern. The four women sat and talked and tried to make Ari feel included, but Ari never felt more excluded. They spoke of things that had happened in Middle Earth over the past 20 years and what was in fashion and who was marrying who. Eventually Ari felt forced to fake sleep and the women left her in peace.

Three days later Eomer, Ari, Eldarion, Arwen, Eileera and Eowyn went to Isengard. The goodbye's at the city were tear filled and Arianelle cried and begged to go back to Ari's world with her Aunt and Uncle. Faramir held the sobbing little girl as everyone else mounted their horses and left the city. Gimli was there with several other dwarves. Ari moved slowly as any serious exertion resulted in a painful coughing fit which resulted in a powerful string of expletives which would make even the stoutest dwarf blush. Merry and Pippin had joined them and sat with Ari in the lush gardens as the wizards prepared for the intricate spell that would send Ari and Eomer back.

"Are you afraid?" Pippin asked. "Are you afraid of going back?"

"Sort of…I know it will hurt…I just don't know how much more pain I'll be able to take." She held her hand to her side. "And explaining all this to my mother….she's a tough lady."

"So are you." Merry said handing her a beautiful purple flower. "You'll do just fine."

"Thanks Merry….." Merry and Pippin spoke of Sam and of how melancholy he'd been after Frodo had left.

"He did good work though…returned the Shire to its glory and this place…he helped to get this garden back into shape."

"It needed it I bet after you two ripped through here."

"It wasn't us! That was Treebeard and his fellows!" Pippin declared. "But we put it back to rights, didn't we Merry? Worked for two solid weeks here with Sam and the wizards."

"Aye…good hard work and lots to smoke too…I wonder if they have any of that longbottom leaf left?"

Arianna and Eomer stood in the courtyard at the end of the week and said their goodbyes to everyone there. They were dressed in the clothes they'd worn when they'd arrived in Middle Earth. Ari remembered waking up in Eomer's tunic the last time and figured it would be best if they were dressed in their own clothes before having to return to her world and tell her mother she had a few cracked ribs. No sense in having to explain why their clothes had changed too.

"Be careful…think of us often." Eowyn said as she hugged both Arianna and Eomer. "It was so good to see you." She pulled away and wiped her eyes and tried to smile.

"You have beautiful children 'Wyn. I'm glad I got to meet them."

"Ari will miss you…I'll miss you." Eowyn said hugging Ari again. Ari smiled despite the pain she felt. Eldarion thanked Eomer and Ari again and then everyone stepped back and let Eomer and Ari take up their positions.

"Are you ready my lord? My lady?"

"As ever…." Ari said grasping the bridle of her horse. She and Eomer stood between their horses and then clasped each other's hands. Eomer felt her squeeze his hand tightly and heard her shaky breaths.

"Are you afraid?"

"Duh…." Ari said with a self assured toss of her head. "Just don't let go of me, OK?"

"Never." He laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The words of the incantation spun around Ari and Eomer as Gimli and the other dwarves watched. Eowyn, Arwen and Eileera stepped back away from the ring of wizards and stared. Merry and Pippin stood on either side of the aged Gimli. Ari closed her eyes and waited for the spinning and bright light to start. When the wizards were done with their chanting Ari opened her eyes.

"Are we home Glenda?"

"No…" Eomer looked around, his heart pounding…._it hadn't worked._ Suddenly there was a large crack of lightning and Ari closed her eyes and ducked her head as she tried to keep a hold on her frightened horse. The startled creature tried to rear as the wind picked up. Ari watched as Eowyn and Arwen grasped Eileera and stepped farther back. The air crackled with electricity and the sky turned a vile shade of green and violet gray. It was the color the sky turned before a tornado, Ari thought. Everyone outside the circle ducked and covered their faces.

"Farewell Ari and Eomer!" She heard Gimli bellow. Ari felt the sudden stabbing pain rip through her again and she screamed and dropped to her knees, her hand still clasped tightly with Eomer's. It was as if someone had shot a grappling hook through her back and it had lodged beneath her injured ribs. The ground shuddered and the wind howled and Ari felt as if she were falling. The only thing she was sure of was Eomer's hand clasped tightly in her own….as if her whole being was centered on that single contact.

That was her last rational thought until she felt the ground suddenly rush up to her.

_A/N: Almost done...thanks to everyone who's read and enjoyed..._


	19. There's No place like Home

_A/N: OK, so this is it...last chapter...I'm glad those of you reading it enjoyed it. Thanks for your wonderful reviews! Let me know what you think..._

"Ari? Are you OK? Ari?" She opened her eyes and looked up at Eomer's concerned face. "Are you OK?"

"NO!" Ari hissed. She was in a lot of pain again. She couldn't get a full breath and she was starting to hyperventilate. Bile rose in her throat and she wanted to puke.

"I don't think we'll have to lie to your mother…." Eomer helped her up slowly and they looked around. They were beside the canyon where they'd entered middle earth. "My knee will certainly be black and blue for a month after that fall."

"Those wizards need to learn to make our landing softer." She staggered to her feet and grasped her re-injured ribs. "Fuck they need to learn to make a landing softer." Ari had released her horse on impact and the frightened animal pranced and bucked not understanding what was happening. Eomer limped to catch his mount and then rode to calm Ari's as she stood unsteadily trying to regain her bearings. She held her hair back and looked up at the sun trying to gauge the time but fell to the ground as her head swam.

"I don't think I can sit my own horse." Ari said as Eomer rode back. "I'm feeling kinda dizzy." She slumped and no matter how hard she tried not to, she felt the contents of her stomach heave upwards. Eomer dismounted and gently massaged her back as she retched. Then he boosted her into the saddle and mounted behind her, hissing as his knee burned in pain.

"What's our story going to be?" Ari asked as they started their slow pace back to the ranch house.

"I don't know….we'll come up with something when we get there…"

"It should be the same."

"Your horse spooked and threw you. You don't know what happened…I'll come up with a story for your parents and the doctor." The two of them crested the ridge above the house and saw that her mother and father were both standing outside looking around.

"What the hell happened?" Ari's mother asked as she saw Eomer and Ari coming down the ridge. "Ari?"

"I'll be alright Mama…"

"What was that noise?" Mr. Carver asked. "It sounded like a plane crash or something."

"I don't know, but Ari's horse threw her when it happened." Eomer lied quickly as he lowered Ari into her mother's waiting arms.

_It sounded like a freighter landed in your room._

Beth's words bounced through Ari's head momentarily as her mother helped her up to the porch steps.

"Go get the truck---we need to get her to a hospital." Ari hissed as her mother placed her hands on her ribs. "I think she's broken a few…."

"Fuck!"

"Arianna Carver! Don't you let me hear you talk like that. I don't care how hurt you may be that's no excuse to say those things in front of your mother."

"Grandpa cusses like a sailor….You don't get mad…."

"That's your grandfather. That's different."

"Like Hell it is—ow!" Ari's mother struck her lightly upside the head. "Mom!"

"Quiet. Let's get you in the truck." Ari was helped into the truck when her father brought it around. Eomer had already put the horses up and leapt into the front seat as Ari's mom was in the back with her.

"Don't worry baby…we'll have you to the hospital in no time." Her mother stroked Ari's hair back away from her face as she leaned into her shoulder. "Just you stay quiet….don't you worry at all."

"I won't if you won't."

"I'm a mother….I'm allowed to worry…."

"I love you mom."

"I love you too, Arianna."

Ari was released the next day with an arsenal of heavy duty pain killers and a strict regimen for rest and relaxation. She was not permitted to do any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for at least six weeks….which left her largely in her mother's molly coddling care.

"Do you need more pillows, another blanket?" Ari's mother asked as she brought Ari her meal.

"I'm fine mom." Eomer sat on the floor beside Ari as she lay on the couch.

"Do you need anything?"

"Privacy?"

"Arianna Brigid Carver…."

"Mother!" The older woman left grumbling under her breath about her impetuous daughter and cracked ribs.

"You shouldn't antagonize her like that…" Eomer said stroking Ari's arm. "You should be kinder."

"Mmmm… you might be right…but if I'm on bed rest for this long I reserve the right to be grouchy."

"What's your excuse the rest of the time?" Her father asked as he walked past. Ari stuck her tongue out at him.

"If you say so dear." Eomer laughed and kissed her softly. "We'll leave at the end of the week. Then you can convalesce at home…"

"Convalesce…right…cuz I know what that means."

"You will if you want to leave this house young lady!" Ari's mothers' voice echoed into the living room where the two of them sat.

"I'm glad you're alright…" Eomer whispered gently pushing hair off her shoulder.

"Me too…." Ari sighed as she sat back against the cushions of the couch. "Me too….and I'm happy to be home."

"Aye…and when we get home we're going to have to…"

"Then you're DEFINITELY not leaving at the end of the week!" Ari and Eomer laughed at the incredible strength of her mother's hearing.

"Do you suppose she's part elvish?" Eomer whispered.

"Wouldn't surprise me if she was…."

They kissed again happy to be home and safe, wondering when next they'd be returning to Middle Earth.


End file.
